Editorial: Turning China’s ‘GDP Championship’ Into a Competition for High-Quality Development

There is now an opportunity for China to get away from the development model known colloquially as the “GDP championship” — in which its local governments pursue economic growth at all costs — and instead foster a competition for the highest quality of growth.

Recently, numerous provincial-level legislatures set their GDP growth targets for 2024. The goals are modest compared with previous years, reflecting the local governments’ lower expectations for a post-pandemic economic recovery. Also recently, the Politburo of the Communist Party of China conducted a collective study session on advancing high-quality development. This shows there’s need for a concerted effort from all levels of government to promote high-quality economic development.