Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged China's wealthiest provinces to "bravely take the lead" to bolster growth and employment, a day after official data painted a gloomy picture for the world's second largest economy. Li — the No. 2 in the hierarchy of China's ruling Communist Party — has been vocal this year about China's sputtering economy, and has repeatedly stressed the need to stabilize the "complex and grave" job situation. A combination of Covid-19 lockdowns, a real estate crisis and now extreme weather threaten a perfect storm.