(Reuters) – China will postpone the Central Economic Work Conference due to a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in Beijing, according to a report by Bloomberg News on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
This annual meeting, taking place behind closed doors, was originally scheduled to start this week. Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping, were to define an economic recovery and stimulus plan in 2023 for China hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the meeting, members of the Politburo, the decision-making body, heads of government agencies as well as provincial leaders aim to set a growth target for the coming year, although it will not be publicly announced before the annual session. of the Chinese parliament, usually held in March.
The Politburo said last week that fiscal policy would be accelerated and become more effective next year, while monetary policy would be focused and tight.
Due to multiple pandemic-related lockdowns, China’s economy grew only 3% in the first three quarters and is expected to remain around that rate for the full year, which is lower than average. official target of “about 5.5%”.
According to Bloomberg, no new date has been set for the meeting.
(Beijing office, with input from Akanksha Khushi; French version Lina Golovnya, editing by Kate Entringer)
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