Evening Briefing Asia

China Makes Domestic Demand Top Economic Priority for 2026

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Pedestrians at the Nanjing Road shopping area in Shanghai, China.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Exercising more, drinking less and calling your mother more often are your typical New Year’s resolutions. For China’s top leaders in 2026, it’s strengthening domestic spending.

“We must adhere to domestic demand as the main driver and build a strong domestic market,” the Communist Party’s decision-making Politburo led by President Xi Jinping pledged during its December huddle, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.