China cuts growth target, pushes through reforms

China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5% in 2017, Premier Li Keqiang says

China has cut its growth target this year as the world's second-largest economy pushes through painful reforms to address a rapid build-up in debt, and constructs a "firewall" against financial risks.

China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5 per cent in 2017, Premier Li Keqiang said at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament on Sunday. China targeted growth of 6.5 to 7 per cent last year and ultimately achieved 6.7 per cent, the slowest pace in 26 years.

A lending binge and increased government spending have fuelled worries among China's top leaders about elevated debt levels and an overheating housing market.

The 2017 target for broad money supply growth was cut to around 12 per cent from about 13 per cent for 2016, while the government's budget deficit target was kept unchanged at 3 per cent of gross domestic product.

China will continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy and maintain a prudent monetary policy, Li said, adding that government would press on with supply-side reforms and take steps to control risks and ensure safety in the financial sector.

"In general, China's policy stance has turned to 'risk control' and 'bubble deflating'. This means that the monetary policy will gradually tighten," said Zhou Hao, emerging markets economist at Commerzbank AG in Singapore.

The target for consumer price inflation this year was kept unchanged at 3 per cent.

"At present, overall, systemic risks are under control. But we must be fully alert to the build-up of risks," Li said.

China should have higher levels of vigilance concerning risks from non-performing assets, debt defaults, shadow banking and internet finance, he said.

"We will ensure order in the financial sector and build a firewall against financial risks," Li said. It will steadily push forward with de-leveraging, mainly in the non-financial corporate sector, Li added.

The finance ministry pledged in its work report released on Sunday to clamp down on local government debt risk.

China's debt-to-GDP ratio rose to 277 per cent at the end of 2016 from 254 per cent the previous year, with an increasing share of new credit being used to pay debt servicing costs, according to a recent UBS note.

Chinese banks doled out a record 12.65 trillion yuan ($1.83 trillion) of loans in 2016, and recent data shows that new yuan loans hit 2.03 trillion yuan in January, the second-highest ever.

The central bank said in a working paper published last month that the debt deleveraging process should be managed prudently to help avoid a liquidity crisis and asset bubbles.

"We will apply a full range of monetary policy instruments, maintain basic stability in liquidity, see that market interest rates remain at an appropriate level, and improve the transmission mechanism of monetary policy," Premier Li said.

Planning Cautiously

• China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5% in 2017

• China targeted growth of 6.5 to 7% last year and ultimately achieved 6.75, the slowest pace in 26 years

• A lending binge and increased government spending have fuelled worries among China's top leaders about elevated debt levels and an overheating housing market

• The 2017 target for broad money supply growth was cut to around 12% from about 13% for 2016

• Govt's Budget deficit target was kept unchanged at 3% of the GDP

• China's debt-to-GDP ratio rose to 277% at the end of 2016 from 254% the previous year