BEIJING, Jan 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China pledged "forceful" measures on Tuesday to boost demand in coming years, formulating plans to relieve a domestic spending slump exacerbated by property sector woes and demographic pressure. The world's second-largest economy grew five percent last year, according to official data released Monday, buoyed by record-breaking exports and reaching the government's official target. "The current economy faces the problem of strong supply but weak demand," said Wang Changlin, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top body for economic planning. Wang said that the NDRC will "study and formulate an implementation plan for expanding domestic demand from 2026 to 2030", vowing to "create new demand through new supply and provide strong innovative measures". Complicating the challenges are demographic trends, with a shrinking and ageing population weakening the outlook for a future spending boom.
