China trims 2017 growth target, warns against trade controls
BEIJING — China’s top economic official trimmed the country’s growth target and warned Sunday of dangers from global pressure for trade controls as Beijing tries to build a consumer-driven economy and reduce reliance on exports and investment.
In a speech to the national legislature, Premier Li Keqiang promised more steps to cut surplus steel production that is straining trade relations with Washington and Europe. He pledged equal treatment for foreign companies, apparently responding to complaints Beijing is trying to squeeze them out of technology and other promising markets.
Li’s report set the growth target for the world’s second-largest economy at “around 6.5 per cent or higher, if possible.” That is down from last year’s 6.7 per cent expansion but, if achieved, would be among the world’s strongest, reflecting confidence efforts to create new industries are gaining traction.
The premier called for attention to the risks of China’s surging debt levels, which economists see as a rising threat to growth.