GDP growth of 6.5% not a 'decided target': Official

Yang Weimin, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, speaks in a news briefing about the CPC Central Committee's suggestions on the 13th Five-Year Plan in Beijing, Nov 9, 2015. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A growth rate of 6.5 percent is not a "decided target" for China's economy, an official said in Beijing on Monday.

Yang Weimin, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, made the remarks when answering a question from a German diplomat on a briefing introducing the CPC Central Committee's suggestions on the 13th Five-Year Plan.

The briefing was held by the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC.

More than 150 diplomats from almost 120 countries attended.

It was not mentioned in the suggestions that the economic growth rate should hit 6.5 percent; instead, the suggestions emphasize that China should achieve the goal set in the 18th CPC National Congress of doubling its GDP and the average income of urban and rural residents, said Yang.

Relevant targets will not come out until the outlines to implement the 13th Five-Year Plan, which the State Council will draft, gain approval by the National People's Congress the next year, he said.

"China's economy used to grow very fast, thus the targets set for growth were without a decimal point. In the future, I believe, our targets will contain a decimal point like those in the United States, Germany and Japan. ... I think maybe China will get to this stage in the future," he said.

In the briefing, Yang also elaborated the fact that the suggestions require China's economy to be innovative, coordinated, green, open and sharing.

China should regard innovation as the most important driver to its economy in the future, as traditional drivers to its economy are slowing down, while new growth points are yet to fully take shape, he said.

Also, the country will work to lift 70.17 million impoverished rural residents out of poverty in the next five years in order to achieve development that is equitable, he added.

Paul Kavanagh, Irish ambassador to China, said it was interesting to learn those requirements on development in the briefing, where they were well "articulated and expressed".

"It is a really welcomed thing that the Chinese government is now focused very strongly on bringing about sustainable development that will sustain an increase in living standards. It's development for the people. It's people-centered development. That is very, very significant," he said.