China's 2021-2025 economic growth projected to exceed 35 trillion yuan: NDRC

China's economy is projected to expand by more than 35 trillion yuan ($4.89 trillion) during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the country's top economic planner said Wednesday.

Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said China's GDP is expected to reach around 140 trillion yuan by 2025.

In the first four years of the plan, China maintained an average annual economic growth rate of 5.5%, Zheng said.

Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC),

"For an economy of such a large size, combined with the impact of the pandemic and "trade bullying," it is unprecedented in the history of economic development that China could maintain such growth," he said.

Zheng said progress on eight key indicators, including the urbanization rate of the permanent population, average life expectancy, and the overall production capacity of food and energy, has exceeded expectations.

He added that all strategic tasks outlined in the plan have been fully implemented, with all 102 major projects advancing smoothly.