China's economic ambitions hit limits to growth as its national congress prepares to meet
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The gap between Chinese leader Xi Jinping's high-tech, artificial intelligence-driven ambitions and the hard realities of slowing growth is the backdrop for the annual meeting of the country's largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People's Congress, which begins Thursday.
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By — Chan Ho-him, Associated Press Chan Ho-him, Associated Press By — Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press Ken Moritsugu, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter China's economic ambitions hit limits to growth as its national congress prepares to meet World Mar 3, 2026 6:55 PM EST BEIJING — China's progress in building a modern economy, evident in its kung-fu fighting robots and self-parking cars, is hitting limits as a downturn in its housing industry drags on, small businesses suffer and young people struggle to find jobs. The gap between Chinese leader Xi Jinping's high-tech, artificial intelligence-driven ambitions and the hard realities of slowing growth is the backdrop for the annual meeting of the country's largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People's Congress, which begins Thursday. READ MORE: China's population falls again as birth rate drops to lowest since 1949 During the meetings, which draw about 3,000 deputies to Beijing, top leaders will outline China's annual target for growth and the congress will endorse a five-year blueprint of policy priorities until 2030. "What we'll see is the trade-off between whether it's going to be industry and tech, or looking after domestic demand," said Alexander Davey, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies. "These are the two priorities that are juggling for Xi Jinping right now." China's economy is losing momentum In a city in southern China's Guangdong, families were cutting back on big purchases during last month's Lunar New Year holidays. Even for auspicious houseplants like orchids, used as a symbol of abundance and prosperity, prices were slashed by as much as 40% from last year. The penny pinching has small business owners complaining about hard times. China reported it reached "around 5%" economic growth in 2025, but economists question some official data. The relatively robust pace of gr...
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