People's Daily Defends China Growth, Says 2026 Targets Will Be Met After Q2 GDP Miss
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 23
People's Daily Defends China Growth, Says 2026 Targets Will Be Met After Q2 GDP Miss
1 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 23
Summary
Back-to-back weekend commentaries in People’s Daily said China can still meet its 2026 annual goals despite a second-quarter GDP miss, arguing growth will stay within a “reasonable range” in the second half.
Saturday’s article said major projects will start rolling and macroeconomic policies will take effect in a timely way, supporting activity as the year progresses.
The paper framed resilience around growth quality as well as headline data, citing continued expansion in hi-tech and equipment manufacturing.
It also said risks in property, local government debt and smaller financial institutions are being resolved and contained in an orderly way, with systemic financial risks kept at bay.
Both pieces ran under the pen name Zhong Caiwen, widely seen as linked to Xi Jinping’s top economic decision-making body, underscoring an official effort to steady confidence after the Q2 disappointment.