Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has warned of “many difficulties and challenges” for China’s economy ahead of the annual session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing this week. In an article published in the ideological party journal Qiushi on Monday -- two days before the congress opens -- Xi warned of the “many risks and hidden dangers” facing China’s economy, before alluding to the threats of further U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.
“At present, the adverse effects of changes in the external environment have deepened, and our country’s economy still faces many difficulties and challenges,” Xi wrote in the piece. U.S. President Donald Trump last month imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese imports in retaliation for what he said was Beijing’s refusal to stop the outflow of precursors for the synthetic opioid fentanyl.