Deficit no cause for alarm

By Xin Zhiming and Wang Xu | China Daily | Updated: 2009-03-06 07:42

Deputies to the National People's Congress belonging to ethnic minority groups pose for a picture in front of the capital's Great Hall of the People, where the 2nd session of the 11th NPC opened yesterday, drawing nearly 3,000 deputies to discuss legislative affairs. Zhang Wei

China's record fiscal deficit budget of 950 billion yuan ($139 billion) for 2009, announced by Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday, is "safe" and allows the government room to react to changes in the economy, a senior economist said.