China's leaders fall silent on hitting GDP growth target

Politburo tacitly acknowledges hurdles to reaching 5.5% goal

20220728N Shanghai lockdown

A worker in protective gear walks past a shop in Shanghai during a lockdown. China's strict zero-COVID policy has slowed economic activity, making it impossible for the country to meet its growth target of around 5.5% for 2022. © Reuters

IORI KAWATE, Nikkei staff writer

BEIJING -- China's top leadership made no promises to meet the country's annual economic growth target during a high-level meeting held Thursday, in a tacit acknowledgement that its strict coronavirus restrictions have made a 5.5% expansion impossible.

In economic policy for the second half, the Communist Party's Politburo urged efforts to "consolidate the upward trend of economic recovery" and "strive for the best possible outcome," according to state media.

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