Reuters reports that a senior economist at a top government think tank said that China should set an average annual economic growth target of around 5% for the 2021-2025 period.

China's potential growth rate should be 5-6% during the 14th five-year plan (2021-2025) period, but the authorities should consider rising economic volatility from the COVID-19 pandemic, Li Xuesong, deputy director of the Institute of Industrial Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told.

"We suggest that China should set an average annual growth target of around 5%, which is appropriate," Li said.

China's economy could grow 2-3% this year and growth could rebound in 2021 to a "relatively high level" but slow again the following year, Li said.