BEIJING, July 26 -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Saturday called on authorities to step up ecological preservation and poverty alleviation efforts in the country's pasturing areas.

Wang made the remarks during a three-day trip to the northwestern pasturing province of Qinghai that ended on Saturday.

He said pasturing regions play an important role in China's social and economic development, and stressed that ecological preservations should be the focus in the development of pasturing regions.

Poverty alleviation work should be carried out in a more pertinent manner, Wang said, adding that authorities must also improve education and training programs in poverty-stricken regions.