China to achieve 6.5% growth target

A worker tests the temperature of molten steel at a steel plant in Dalian, Liaoning province. [Photo by Liu Debin/For China Daily]

China is expected to attain its economic growth target of 6.5 percent with the economic aggregate reaching 90 trillion yuan in 2018, said Ning Jizhe, head of the National Bureau of Statistics, in an interview with CCTV on Monday.

"2018 was an extraordinary year; although the global and domestic environment was complex and fluctuating, China's economic operation still maintained smooth and stable growth," Ning said.

The 6.5 percent growth rate is one of the fastest among big economies, Ning said.

China's economic aggregate surpassed 82 trillion yuan in 2017, and is expected to hit 90 trillion yuan in 2018, an increase of 8 trillion yuan, and the increment accounts for nearly one third of global growth, according to Ning.

The investment in agriculture, environment and water conservancy rose 10 percent and 20 percent in 2018, Ning said.

The proportion of consumption upgrading projects is increasing; China's Engel coefficient, a indicator to measure resident consumption structure, is close to developed countries' uniform parameter; and the service consumption rose fast with tourism, culture and sport seeing a big growth, said Ning.

Ning said the National Bureau of Statistics will hold a news conference on Jan 21 to release China's 2018 economic data.