China’s economic growth target of around five percent for 2025 reflects both current realities and economic outlooks in the long run, providing market players with clear stable expectations, according to experts.
Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday announced the goal when delivering the government work report to the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress for deliberation as the annual session opened in Beijing.
“In the short term, achieving the growth rate of five percent is key to ensuring employment stability, mitigating risks, and improving livelihoods. In the medium and long run, this goal aligns with the China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and its long-range goals for 2035, creating flexibility for strategic tasks such as deepening reforms, advancing technological innovation, and promoting green transformation. More importantly, this target is not just about speed but a clear focus on ‘rising to the challenges’ and a commitment to structural reforms that drive internal momentum,” said Zhang Shanlin, researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Experts noted that China continues to consolidate and build momentum for economic recovery and growth, backed by favorable conditions and strong macroeconomic policies that lay the groundwork for achieving the growth target.
“There are three key factors that will help unlock the growth potential. First is the innovation effect. China has taken the lead in many cutting-edge fields. Second is the market effect. China, as the world’s largest single market, serves as a massive testing ground for scientific and technological innovation, accelerating their integration into production and daily life. Third, we are seeing intensified policy efforts this year, targeting key issues across production, distribution, exchange, and consumption. Given these factors, the growth target of five percent is both necessary and attainable,” said Zou Yunhan, deputy director of the Macroeconomic Research Office under the NDRC’s State Information Center.
China’s five pct growth target gives market players clear expectations: experts
China’s five pct growth target gives market players clear expectations: experts
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday firmly rejected external pressure to negotiate on its nuclear program after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded for negotiations and threatened military action against Iran if otherwise a day earlier.
Speaking in a televised address, the Iranian supreme leader accused certain powerful nations of using negotiations as a means to impose their will on Iran rather than seeking genuine solutions.
He said that if Iran does not accept, these countries will create controversies which would extend beyond the nuclear issue to include such topics for discussion as Iran’s defense program and missile range.
They keep coming up with new demands that Iran would never be able to meet, Khamenei noted.
In response, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes reiterated the U.S. position that Iran could choose to negotiate a deal, or it could face U.S. military action.
On Feb 4 this year, Trump took an executive action to restore the so-called “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, aiming at preventing the latter from obtaining nuclear weapon.
In an interview with Fox Business Network broadcast on Friday, Trump said he had sent a letter to Iran’s leadership urging the country to hold negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, otherwise, Iran may face military consequences.
On the same day, the Iranian side responded to Trump’s remarks, saying that the country would not negotiate with the U.S. under the “maximum pressure.”
Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.
However, during Trump’s first term of office, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the JCPOA have not achieved substantial progress.
Iran’s top leader rejects nuclear talks amid threats
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