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China’s top economic officials are holding a press conference on Thursday afternoon as part of the “two sessions”, the country’s annual policymaking meetings.
The leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission – Beijing’s top economic planner – the ministries of finance and commerce, China’s central bank and its main securities regulator are expected to attend.
At the opening session of China’s national legislature on Wednesday, Premier Li Qiang presented the major economic targets for 2025. The goal for gross domestic product of “around 5 per cent” remains unchanged from last year, while the fiscal deficit ratio has been raised to 4 per cent from the previous year’s 3 per cent.
Meeting these annual benchmarks will be a challenge this year, as the environment for trade grows more unpredictable during the second term of US President Donald Trump and a set of persistent issues threatens to weigh down growth and blunt enthusiasm among consumers and investors.
Reporting by Luna Sun, Sylvia Ma, Meredith Chen
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