China’s premier says economic growth is accelerating and the country can hit its 5% target this year

BEIJING (AP) — China’s No. 2 leader says economic growth accelerated in the latest quarter and he expressed confidence it can hit the ruling Communist Party’s official target of 5% for the year. Premier Li Qiang spoke at a conference in the eastern city of Tianjin. Li gave no figure for the three months ending in June but said it was faster than the previous quarter’s 4.5%. The world’s second-largest economy rebounded from 2022’s unusually weak 3% growth after the end of anti-virus controls on travel and business activity. But that faded faster than expected. Li said, “We expect to achieve the economic growth rate of 5% determined at the start of the year.”