China's local officials warned not go too far in hitting their economic policy goals

Key policy adviser says hitting national target of doubling gross domestic product in 10 years does not mean every province has to double the size of its economy

The country’s top-down policy system means officials will often cut corners or manipulate data to achieve their individual goals

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The country has a national target of doubling its GDP in the 10 years to 2020. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 5:03pm, 15 Dec 2019Updated: 4:19pm, 19 Jan 2020

A key economic policymaker in Beijing has warned local officials not to be overzealous in fulfilling their “political task” of becoming a well-off society next year.

Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Office of the Central Economic and Financial Affairs Commission, warned that financially stretched local authorities should not overstretch themselves and undermine other policy goals.

“Taking the goal of doubling gross domestic product [GDP] from the 2010 level, for example, it’s a requirement on the national level, not a demand that all the regions must double their GDP,” Han told at an event in Beijing on Saturday.

“Every region has quite a different situation. They must strive for the targets according to their own needs and practices.”

Taking the goal of doubling gross domestic product [GDP] from the 2010 level, for example, it’s a requirement on the national level, not a demand that all the regions must double their GDP,

Han Wenxiu

The comments of Han, a senior aide to the president’s key economic adviser Liu He, came after the annual Central Economic Work Conference emphasised the importance of meeting growth, poverty reduction and environmental targets.