Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang Friday called for strengthened efforts to improve grain storage work, saying it is linked with the country's economic development, social stability and national security.

Li made the remarks when addressing a video and telephone conference on nationwide grain storage work.

Nationwide grain inventories reached about 225 billion kilograms by the end of March this year.

Li urged relevant department to further strengthen grain storage work, targeting an increase of 15 billion kilograms in grain inventories by the end of next year.

"Grain storage is always a basic issue in China, a developing country with a population of more than 1.3 billion," Li said.

"Grain security plays a strategic role in the nation's development course, and it is of the same importance as financial and energy security for the country," he said.