Reuters was more than 8 minutes ahead of the competition in reporting that China’s government had set a GDP growth target for 2025 at “around 5%.” The closely watched economic target was later delivered by Premier Li Qiang at the opening of the annual meeting of China’s parliament. Li’s speech, the blueprint for Beijing’s economic policy for the coming year, highlighted “an increasingly complex and severe external environment,” as China braces for an escalating trade war with the United States. The announced growth target confirmed a Reuters exclusive from November.