"I should point out that 6.5 percent is not a low rate and won’t be easy to achieve… This can generate 11 million jobs," Li was quoted as saying on the Chinese governmental portal said during his annual press conference after the closing of the 10-day National People's Congress session.
The given target, which is the lowest growth rate seen by China in decades, will allow the government to focus on improving the country's economy in qualitative terms, he added, stressing that China's contribution to the global economy will not diminish and China will remain a powerhouse economy.
Earlier this month, China’s National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2017 set a 6.5-percent target for GDP growth following last year's record low growth figures. In 2016, China's GDP grew 6.7 percent, the slowest in over 25 years.
Moreover, the Chinese government will create more jobs in order to avoid mass unemployment in the country, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday.
"We are fully capable of expanding employment and will not allow mass unemployment," Li was quoted as saying on the Chinese governmental portal during his annual press conference following the conclusion of the 10-day National People's Congress session.
Beijing's economy has recently seen lower growth rates, with the yuan sliding against other currencies. China reported its 2015 GDP increase to be the lowest in over 20 years.
According to the Chinese State Council, more than 50 million jobs will be created in China by 2020.
