Journalists raise hands to ask questions at a press conference for the fourth session of the 14th National People"s Congress (NPC) on economy in Beijing, on March 6, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

　　China"s GDP is expected to grow by over 6 trillion yuan ($869.6 billion) in 2026, equivalent to the total annual GDP volume of a developed economy, Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country"s top economic planner, told a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People"s Congress in Beijing on Friday.

　　A day after China unveiled its economic growth target of 4.5-5 percent this year, five Chinese government agencies including the NDRC, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), People"s Bank of China, and China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) held an economy-themed conference.

　　During the two-and-a-half-hour conference, five officials took 17 questions, with topics such as how China will boost domestic demand, promote sci-tech innovation, expand high-level opening-up, and foster the healthy development of foreign trade in 2026 receiving high attention.

　　Solid foundation

　　China"s economic growth target is prudently proposed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council after comprehensive assessment, systematic analysis, and scientific demonstration, Zheng said, in response to a question from a foreign media outlet over how China will achieve its pre-set GDP growth target in 2026.

　　"To achieve this target, we have a solid foundation, which can be reflected in at least three aspects - namely aggregate scale, innovation capacity, and risk response," the official said.