A view of the Lujiazui area in Shanghai Photo: VCG

China targets an economic growth of 4.5 percent to 5 percent this year and will strive for better in practice, according to a Government Work Report submitted Thursday to the country's top legislature for deliberation.

Analysts said that the target range reflects a more prudent assessment of global uncertainties, and allows greater policy flexibility to focus on the high quality development while still signaling policymakers’ commitment to maintaining stable growth in the world's second-largest economy amid rising global risks and turmoil.

The annual growth target was unveiled in the Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Qiang to the National People's Congress (NPC) for deliberation, as the national legislature opened its annual session on Thursday morning.

Over the next five years, China expects to keep its GDP growth within an appropriate range, with annual growth rates to be determined in light of actual conditions, according to the report.

This will lay a solid foundation for achieving the goal of doubling China's 2020 per capita GDP by 2035 to reach the level of a moderately developed country, the report said.

In addition to the GDP growth target, the Government Work Report also revealed a slew of other development targets, which include a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent; over 12 million new urban jobs; an increase in consumer price index of around 2 percent; growth in personal income in step with economic growth; a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments; grain output of around 700 million tonnes; and a drop of around 3.8 percent in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product.

The deficit-to-GDP ratio, another closely watched figure, is set at around 4 percent for 2026, with the total government deficit at 5.89 trillion yuan, 230 billion yuan more than last year.

As 2026 marks the inaugural year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), this year's "two sessions" served not only as an important window into China's macroeconomic policies, but also as a foundation for the country's development blueprint for the next five years, analysts said.

NPC deputy Yu Miaojie, president of Liaoning University, told the Global Times on Thursday that to ensure the Chinese economy gets off to a good start in the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is of paramount importance to pinpoint new growth engines and maintain stable and sustained economic growth.

A growth target of 4.5 percent to 5 percent allows greater policy flexibility, enabling localities to focus on high-quality economic growth as their primary goal and, more importantly, place greater focus on people's livelihoods, Yu said. “Maintaining an annual economic growth rate within this range reflects the ‘stability’ of China's economy.”

Amid escalating geopolitical conflicts and growing global turmoil, China's economy has maintained stable and sustained growth, driven by the country's economic resilience and social stability, Yu said, noting the steady track record of economic growth in the past several years.

Denis Depoux, global managing director of strategy consulting firm Roland Berger, told the Global Times on Thursday that it is crucial to understand that this “growth consensus” is not a sign of weakness.

“In the context of rising global uncertainty, the growth target creates fiscal and political buffers for China to drive the reform and address the real problems without the pressure of chasing high growth at all costs. It allows for a significant reallocation of capital away from inefficient investments and toward the real needs of the economy, namely technology and people,” Depoux said, adding that engaging with the “China Speed” and its dynamic ecosystem is an opportunity for multinationals to capitalize on a strategic advantage.

根据周四提交给国家最高立法机关审议的政府工作报告，中国将今年的经济增长目标设定在4.5%至5%之间，并将在实际工作中力争取得更好结果。

专家指出，这一目标区间反映了对全球不确定性更审慎的评估，并赋予了更大的政策灵活性，以便集中精力推动高质量发展，同时向外界释放决策层致力于在日益增加的全球风险和动荡中，维持世界第二大经济体平稳增长的坚定信号。

周四上午，全国人民代表大会年度会议开幕，国务院总理李强向大会作政府工作报告，公布了这一年度增长目标。

报告显示，在未来五年内，中国预计将GDP增长保持在合理区间，年度增长率将根据实际情况确定。

报告指出，这将为实现到2035年人均国内生产总值（GDP）比2020年翻一番、达到中等发达国家水平的目标奠定坚实基础。

除了GDP增长目标外，政府工作报告还披露了一系列其他发展目标，包括：城镇调查失业率5.5%左右；城镇新增就业1200万人以上；居民消费价格指数（CPI）涨幅2%左右；居民收入增长与经济增长基本同步；国际收支保持基本平衡；粮食产量7亿吨左右；单位国内生产总值二氧化碳排放降低3.8%左右。

另一个备受关注的数据——赤字率，在2026年设定为4%左右，政府赤字总额为5.89万亿元人民币，比去年增加2300亿元。

分析人士表示，由于2026年是中国“十五五”规划（2026-2030年）的开局之年，今年的两会不仅是观察中国宏观经济政策的重要窗口，也为国家未来五年的发展蓝图奠定了基础。

全国人大代表、辽宁大学校长余淼杰周四接受《环球时报》采访时表示，为确保中国经济在“十五五”规划开局之年实现良好开局，寻找新增长引擎并保持稳定且持续的经济增长至关重要。

余淼杰指出，4.5%至5%的增长目标赋予了更大的政策灵活性，使各地能够将高质量经济增长作为首要目标，更重要的是，能将更多重心放在民生上。他表示：“将年度经济增长率维持在这一区间，反映了中国经济的‘稳’。”

余淼杰称，在外部地缘政治冲突升级和全球动荡加剧的背景下，得益于国家的经济韧性和社会稳定，中国经济保持了稳定且持续的增长，他同时也指出了过去几年经济稳健增长的记录。

罗兰贝格（Roland Berger）全球管理委员会联席总裁戴璞（Denis Depoux）周四对《环球时报》表示，至关重要的是要理解这种“增长共识”并非疲软的信号。

戴璞说：“在全球不确定性不断上升的背景下，这一增长目标为中国推动改革、解决实际问题创造了财政和政治缓冲空间，而无需承受不惜一切代价追求高增长的压力。它允许资本进行重大重新配置，从低效投资转向经济的真实需求，即技术和人才。”他补充道，与“中国速度”及其充满活力的生态系统接轨，是跨国公司获取战略优势的机遇。

原文链接：https://enapp.globaltimes.cn/article/1356339