China launches plan to 'vigorously boost' consumption amid Trump's threats to economy

Open this photo in gallery: A man rides a bicycle on a street at the central business district in Beijing, on March 17.JADE GAO/AFP/Getty Images China this week unveiled a "Special Action Plan" for boosting consumption, as the world's second-largest economy seeks to grow domestic demand amid an increasingly uncertain international trade outlook. The Chinese economy has struggled to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a housing crisis, high local government debt and unemployment all dragging down growth even before U.S. President Donald Trump restarted a trade war, slapping 20 per cent tariffs on imports from China. At a meeting…