China's national legislature opens annual session

China's national legislature on Wednesday started its annual session, with a string of confidence-boosting development goals unveiled, including an economic growth target of around 5 percent for 2025.

Nearly 3,000 deputies attended the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders including Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng were seated at the rostrum.

Zhao Leji, executive chairman of the session's presidium, presided over the meeting.

Premier Li Qiang delivered a government work report. Reviewing the work of 2024, he said that in the face of complex and challenging developments marked by mounting external pressures and growing domestic difficulties, China has accomplished the main goals and tasks for economic and social development.

"While recognizing our achievements, we are keenly aware of the problems and challenges that confront us," he said.

Noting that 2025 is the final year for implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), the premier said China targets economic growth of around 5 percent this year.

The country has set the target for its surveyed urban unemployment rate at around 5.5 percent, and plans to create over 12 million new urban jobs in 2025, Li said.

China also targets an annual increase in the consumer price index of around 2 percent, he added.

Noting that China faces formidable tasks in economic and social development, Li said the country should focus on major priorities and key links and strive to deliver a good performance in several areas, including vigorously boosting consumption, accelerating the development of a modernized industrial system, accelerating the implementation of landmark reform measures, expanding high-standard opening up, and stabilizing foreign trade and investment.

At Wednesday's meeting, lawmakers reviewed a report from the State Council on the implementation of the 2024 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2025 draft plan, as well as the draft plan for national economic and social development in 2025.

They also reviewed a report from the State Council on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2024 and on the draft central and local budgets for 2025, as well as the draft central and local budgets for 2025.

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, explained a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels.

The law amendment is necessary for developing whole-process people's democracy and ensuring that people's congresses and their standing committees at all levels maintain close ties with the people, according to the explanation.