Chinese Premier Li Keqiang speaks after the Germany-China government consultations on July 9, 2018 in Berlin, Germany.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images
BEIJING – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced on Friday that the world ‘s second largest economy would target growth of more than 6% by 2021.
He told him that the nation was aiming for an urban unemployment rate of around 5.5% and that it was aiming to create more than 11 million new urban jobs, the same as in 2019 and last year’s 9 million.
China will also aim for a 3% increase in the consumer price index, a measure of inflation, Li said.
China grew 2.3% last year as the only major economy to expand amid the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s official economic data is often questioned for its accuracy.
The Chinese government this week kicked off the annual two-session parliamentary meeting to approve national priorities for 2021. This year’s meeting will last about a week.
The political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, held the opening ceremony on Thursday. The legislature of the National People’s Congress began its annual meeting on Friday.
The delegate meeting, known as the “Two Sessions,” has overseen changes such as the abolition of President Xi Jinping’s term limits in 2018 and the proposal for a new security law for Hong Kong last year.
The generally symbolic meeting, on the other hand, is of particular importance this year, as it marks the beginning of China’s five-year development plan, the 14th in the country’s history. It is also the centenary of the Communist Party government.
Authorities are expected to set out details on issues ranging from labor targets to the management of the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong.
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