BEIJING—China set an economic growth target for the year of around 5.5%, the lowest level in more than a quarter-century of economic planning, reflecting heightened domestic and global uncertainties in a key political year for leader Xi Jinping.
China’s target, which was announced by Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday at the start of the country’s annual legislative session, marks a step down from the already-modest goal of 6% or more that it set for 2021, which it easily surpassed with an 8.1% expansion in gross domestic product.