Govt report releases signs of high-quality development
China DailyThe opening meeting of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 5, 2024. The report aligns with the principles of the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year, emphasizing the prioritization of economic growth as a key government focus. The decline is not a consequence of burst bubbles, but a result of the central government's deliberate move to control the disorderly expansion of the sector, because the top authorities are worried about rising debts — the real estate sector consumes a lot of resources and creates too much debt. The Central Economic Work Conference in December 2023 signaled a shift toward growth, though, for it called for government policy to "seek progress while maintaining stability" and "establish the new before abolishing the old". The central government deficit will increase by 180 billion yuan compared to the previous year's budget, and special-purpose bonds for local governments will increase by 100 billion yuan.