Beijing/Hong Kong —
China set its lowest economic growth target in decades on Thursday, announcing it would aim for 4.5-5% expansion for 2026, as the world’s second-largest economy grapples with weak domestic demand and an uncertain global outlook.
The moderate projection follows three consecutive years of aiming for “around 5%” growth from 2023 to 2025, which the country achieved despite a slow recovery from stringent Covid-19 controls and US President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive last year.
Still, China’s broader growth trajectory has flattened, weighed down by a prolonged property crisis, declined investment, tepid consumption