China's economy will face more pressure and problems in 2017, with changes in global politics and challenges to economic rules adding further uncertainty to the outlook, Premier Li Keqiang has said.
At a meeting held in Beijing on Friday, Li said China will ensure the nation's economy runs smoothly and will improve the quality and efficiency of growth, according to a statement published on the government's website on Sunday.
Global investors are debating whether China's leaders will accept more modest growth this year, amid concerns about risks arising from years of debt-fueled stimulus driven by a political obsession with meeting official targets.
Economic growth could slow to 6.5 percent this year from about 6.7 percent in 2016, a government-run think tank said earlier this month, with industrial output potentially growing 5.9 percent, down from an estimated 6.1 percent in 2016.