Flexibility expected in setting growth target

Chinese policymakers will likely be more flexible when setting next year’s growth target, showing greater tolerance for slower growth in exchange for policy leeway to carry out longer term reform objectives that are crucial to the country’s highquality development, analysts said on Dec 8.

Top leaders in Beijing will gather at the annual Central Economic Work Conference, scheduled for later this month, to discuss economic and reform plans in detail. The meeting will set China’s economic agenda and the overall policy tone for the coming year.

Most economists expect the policy tone to emphasize quality growth over speed, with more flexible and targeted efforts that focus on ensuring an orderly economic deceleration and striking the right balance between maintaining stable growth and containing economic risks.