'China will meet its 2016 annual target of 6.5-7%'

The head of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said China should have no problem hitting its 2016 economic growth target of 6.5-7 per cent, a media reported on Tuesday.

NBS head Ning Jizhe also said on Monday that next year's growth rate will come within a rational target, the People's Daily reported.

The consistently stable growth of the first three quarters of 2016, which is representative of the year's economic performance, has created a solid foundation for the country to hit its annual target, Ning said.

China's economy expanded by 6.7 per cent over the first three quarters of the year, according to NBS data.

Ning predicted that growth will remain stable in the fourth quarter.

Prime Minister Li Keqiang said in March that China's economic growth target for 2016 was 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent, and the economy would grow at an average annual rate of at least 6.5 per cent through 2020.

--IANS

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