Top planner demands hard work toward economic targets

Officials must work hard to meet the country's fiscal revenue, investment and foreign trade targets as they are "very difficult to achieve," China's top economic planner told lawmakers on Thursday.

Despite the steady performance of China's economy in the first half of 2015 -- GDP grew by the expected 7 percent, the economy is facing multiple domestic and international challenges, said Xu Shaoshi, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, during the ongoing bimonthly session of the top legislature.

While delivering a report to the session, Xu expressed confidence that China's economy can maintain steady growth in the second half of 2015, and that the country can meet major annual targets including economic growth, employment, grain output, pollutant control and affordable housing.