China GDP: economic growth could exceed ‘above 6 per cent’ target, Premier Li Keqiang says
- China set an economic growth target of ‘above 6 per cent’ for 2021 after it grew by 2.3 per cent during a coronavirus-hit 2020
- China’s economy is widely expected by analysts to grow by more than 8 per cent this year, helped by the low base from last year’s weak growth
China’s economic growth this year could exceed a target of “above 6 per cent,” with the government seeking stable expansion and job creation, Premier Li Keqiang said Monday in a meeting with foreign business executives.
“We need to seek a balance between growth, income, and employment, and we cannot pursue economic growth based on high energy consumption and heavy pollution,” Li said, according to a statement from the State Council.
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The meeting was held by video chat at the conclusion of the China Development Forum over the weekend, a high-level conference organised by the government that included international speakers like Tesla’s Elon Musk, Bridgewater Associates’ Ray Dalio and Credit Suisse Group’s Thomas Gottstein.
Li’s comments came just days after the first talks between officials from China and the new Biden administration in Alaska, with both sides criticising each other over everything from trade to human rights.
Tensions increased Monday with the United States, Britain, Canada and the European Union imposing sanctions on China over alleged rights abuses against the Uygurs in Xinjiang, drawing an immediate retaliation from Beijing.
The China Development Forum is held annually and hosted by the Development Research Center under China’s State Council.
