China drops growth target for first time

beijing — China dropped its annual growth target for the first time on Friday and pledged more government spending as the Covid-19 pandemic hammers the world’s second-biggest economy, setting a sombre tone to this year’s meeting of parliament.

The omission from Premier Li Keqiang’s work report marks the first time China has not set a target for gross domestic product (GDP) since the government began publishing such goals in 1990.

The economy shrank 6.8 per cent in the first quarter, the first contraction in decades, hit by the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which started in the central

Chinese city of Wuhan.

“We have not set a specific target for economic growth for the year, mainly because the global epidemic situation and economic and trade situation are very uncertain, and China’s development is facing some unpredictable factors,” Li said at the start of parliament.

Domestic consumption, investment and exports are falling, and the pressure on employment is rising significantly, while financial risks are mounting, he warned. China has set a target to create over 9 million urban jobs this year, according to Li’s report, down from a goal of at least 11 million in 2019 and the lowest since 2013.

Ahead of the National People’s Congress, the week-long meeting of the largely rubber-stamp parliament, China’s top leaders have promised to boost stimulus to bolster the economy amid rising worries job losses could threaten social stability. —