China's GDP target of 5.5% for 2022 will be challenging to meet: Economists

China’s goal to achieve around 5.5% economic growth this year is a challenging one, and will push the government to boost infrastructure investment, stimulate property demand and provide more monetary easing, economists say.

The gross domestic product target is higher than economists’ projection of 5.1% expansion for this year, a growth rate that would be the lowest since 1990, excluding the pandemic year of 2020. The economy grew 8.1% in 2021, when the government set a conservative target of “above 6%.”

Here’s a look at what economists are saying about Beijing’s goals, which were released at the opening of the National People’s