The head of China's state planner said on Wednesday that the government's 5% economic growth target this year, which many analysts say is ambitious, is achievable and that he expects the world's second-largest economy to have a good first quarter, Reuters reported. Speaking at a rare joint briefing on the sidelines of the annual parliament meeting in Beijing with China's finance minister, commerce minister, central bank chief, and head of the securities regulator, Zheng Shanjie said officials would step up economic policy adjustments this year to consolidate a recovery.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday reserved its order in the matter related to Dublin-based aircraft lessor Aircastle Limited’s insolvency petition against budget airline SpiceJet, the Economic Times of India reported. SpiceJet’s counsel has cast doubt over the maintainability of Aircastle’s petition as the latter had filed a separate petition under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) against the Gurgaon-headquartered carrier. The counsel for Aircastle has argued that both petitions deal with separate cases of default by SpiceJet.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced an ambitious 2024 economic growth target of around 5% on Tuesday, promising steps to transform the country's development model and defuse risks fuelled by bankrupt property developers and indebted cities, Reuters reported. Delivering his maiden work report at the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament, Li also flagged higher defence spending, while hardening the rhetoric on Taiwan.

Chinese investment can’t be the solution for cash-strapped Canadian miners seeking financial backing, according to Canada’s natural resources minister, Bloomberg News reported. “We need to be working to solve access to capital issues, but the answer cannot be investment from Chinese state-owned industries,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Tuesday in an interview.

Some of China’s largest insurers are sounding an alarm over the debt risks of China Vanke Co., according to people familiar with the matter, as shares and bonds of the major developer hit record lows on repayment concerns, Bloomberg News reported. At least two Beijing-based insurers that farm out annuity investments told their external portfolio managers late last week to closely monitor Vanke’s credit risks, said the people, asking not to be identified discussing a private matter. One life insurer also told its pension managers to curb exposure, the people added.

Chinese developer Country Garden said on Monday it will consider if it is necessary to apply to the High Court for a validation order at a later stage after evaluating the progress of its offshore restructuring. If the validation order is not applied for or granted, any transfer of shares made after Feb. 27 will be void if the company is liquidated, it said. A liquidation petition was filed against Country Garden on Feb. 27 after it failed to meet repayment obligations. Read more.

Thailand’s central bank faced renewed calls from the government camp to start easing monetary policy, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s top aide arguing that Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy needed cheaper borrowing costs to spur growth, Bloomberg News reported. The Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee has some room to reduce the key rate to provide “immediate relief” to the people as budgetary support was still at least a month away, Prommin Lertsuridej, the secretary-general to Srettha, said Monday.

Turkey’s annual inflation swung to a 15-month high with a faster pickup than forecast, an acceleration closely watched by a central bank that’s still on alert after ending interest-rate hikes, Bloomberg News reported. Stoked in part by this year’s sharp increase in the minimum wage, price growth in February quickened for a fourth straight month to 67.1% from 64.9% in January. Monthly inflation — a gauge that’s been under particular scrutiny by the central bank — also exceeded forecasts even as it eased back to 4.5% from 6.7% in January. It remains well above its level in the fourth quarter.

Chinese solar giant Longi Green Energy Technology Co. is calling on Beijing to crack down on low prices and ensure panel quality as excess capacity and fierce competition spur company failures, Bloomberg News reported. The government should introduce new bidding rules to discourage prices that are below production costs, and to award firms that can provide long-lasting reliable products, Longi Chairman Zhong Baoshen said in an interview with Shanghai Securities News. Zhong made the comments on the sidelines of this week’s National People’s Congress, which he’s attending as a delegate.