After launching its economic reforms in the late 1970s, China experienced nearly three decades of mostly double-digit growth, overtaking Japan in 2010 to become the world’s second-largest economy. The 2026 target is the lowest since Beijing began announcing such figures in the early 1990s. Still, China’s broader growth trajectory has flattened, weighed down by a prolonged property crisis, declined investment, tepid consumption and deflation. Guards march outside the Great Hall of People prior to the National People's Congress in Beijing, China, on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Beyond upgrading transitional industries, Beijing reaffirmed pledges to cultivate emerging and future sectors, including semiconductors, aerospace, biotechnology, quantum technology and embodied AI.

Source: CNN March 05, 2026 03:37 UTC