China Wraps Up Congress With No Clear Plan for Economic Revival

The Congress opened with the announcement of an economic growth target of 'about 5 percent' for this year

- AGENCIES

China wrapped up its biggest political event of the year on Tuesday, leaving one question unanswered: How far will it go to try to revive economic growth in 2025?

A recurring theme throughout the weeklong meeting of the nearly 3,000-member National People's Congress was the need to boost investment and consumer spending.

How much will be done to translate words into action will only become clear in the months ahead as the ruling Communist Party juggles priorities. What is clear is that a burgeoning trade war with the United States has left the outlook for the coming months uncertain.

The meeting ended in the absence of top political leader Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Congress. Zhao, who was supposed to host the closing session, had a respiratory tract infection, said Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong, who chaired the meeting in his place.