Singapore - China will further improve its citzens' standard of living to spur public consumption and boost domestic demand in order to tackle the global economic crisis, President Hu Jintao said Friday.

"Our focus in countering the crisis is to expand domestic demand, especially consumer demand," Hu told business leaders at the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC).

"We are making every effort to address issues concerning the immediate interests of the people," he said, adding that in particular, China had intensified efforts to improve the social safety net and substantially raised social security benefits.

"What we have been doing will not only increase investment and unleash the potential of public consumption, but also put China's long-term economic development on a firm footing," Hu said.

"China will further boost domestic demand, vigorously expand the domestic market and promote balanced growth of domestic and external demand," China's president said.

Hu urged the world's economies to "turn the crisis into an opportunity," for example by reforming the international financial system and increase the representation and voice of developing countries in international institutions.

He pushed for a speedy settlement of remaining issues for the Doha round of international trade negotiations and warned against protectionism, saying that "it can only pose a threat to the fragile momentum of economic recovery." (dpa)