Expanding domestic demand a top priority in 2026: Chinese economic official

BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Expanding domestic demand will be the top priority of China's economic policy in 2026, according to an official from the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs.

Policies will be rolled out to boost consumption through both the supply and demand sides, taking structural shifts in the country's consumption patterns into consideration, the official told Xinhua and other media outlets in an interview on the guiding principles of the Central Economic Work Conference that was held last week in Beijing.

Efforts will also be made to stabilize and reverse the decline in investment, with the aim of improving people's livelihoods and strengthening long-term growth momentum, according to the official.

"By coordinating investment and consumption, and by creating synergy between the government and the market, there are ample conditions to achieve sustained growth in domestic demand next year," the official said.  ■