China’s GDP growth target for 2017 was set at around 6.5 percent at the sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislature and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body, held in March in Beijing.

Delivering the Report on the Work of the Government at the opening of the NPC, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the target, which he described as "realistic and in keeping with economic principles," is China’s lowest in more than 20 years.

Last year, China's GDP reached 74.4 trillion yuan ($10.8 trillion), a 6.7 percent growth, outpacing most other economies and contributing more than 30 percent of global growth.

Despite an increase in global protectionism sentiment, China announced it will continue to open up its market and push ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative.

The initiative, proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes, has yielded a variety of infrastructure projects, economic and trade cooperation zones, and investment and jobs to participating countries.

Chinese businesses have since helped build 56 economic and trade cooperation zones in 20 countries along the Belt and Road routes, with total investment exceeding $18 billion, helping generate over $1 billion in tax revenue and more than 160,000 jobs, statistics show.

More than 100 countries and international organizations have joined the initiative and over 40 of them have cooperation agreements with China.

Against the backdrop of sluggish world economic growth and growing protectionism, and taking into account China’s large economic aggregates, the new growth target is generally regarded as "reasonable, pragmatic and reachable."

"A projected economic growth rate of approximately 6.5 percent is good news for Africa, " Garth Shelton, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations School of Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, told ChinAfrica. "Strong growth in China will translate into increased demand for African commodities."

Shelton said that urban unemployment being kept at 4.5 percent suggests that China’s economy continues to create jobs and prosperity.

He said that China’s continued commitment to opening up international trade will be welcomed in Africa. The growth in China-Africa trade over the last 20 years has been a key factor in Africa’s economic development.

Shelton noted that the detailed plan for further supply-side reform and economic adjustment suggests that China will succeed in advancing broader and more sustainable economic growth for the longer term toward the goal of a moderately prosperous country by 2020, and further SOE reform is expected to generate increased growth within the economy and create new business opportunities.

China’s commitment to improving living standards and addressing poverty will advance social stability, he said.

Given that increased domestic demand is the key to sustainable growth, the commitment to promote the potential of domestic demand, such as tourism, is expected to contribute to economic development, said Shelton.

He envisaged that the outcome of the NPC and CPPCC sessions strengthened the following five areas:

• Fortifying the China-Africa friendship toward a comprehensive development partnership. A stronger link between Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the AU’s Agenda 2063 development program would be welcomed.
• The implementation of China’s plan to further support AU peacekeeping efforts towards "African solutions for African problems." China’s increased support for peacekeeping could be the key to stabilizing the continent.
• Continued Chinese investment in Africa and assistance with the building of roads, railway lines and related infrastructure. China’s assistance in this regard provides the foundation for Africa’s industrialization and modernization.
• A strengthening of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) cooperation toward increased BRICS investment (especially Chinese investment) in Africa to boost industrialization and agricultural modernization.
• A broadening of the Maritime Silk Road connection with Africa to include Southern Africa along with the planned links to East Africa and North Africa. Southern Africa can make a major contribution to a win-win outcome for China’s Silk Road connection with Africa.

(Reporting from Johannesburg)