Higher deficit ratio 'worth discussing'

China's Vice-Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said on Friday that it is worth discussing whether the fiscal deficit ratio should be fixed below the ceiling of 3 percent, indicating the possibility of a more proactive fiscal policy in 2016.

Zhu made the remarks on the same day that Premier Li Keqiang, while briefing about 250 political advisers on the draft 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), called for bigger efforts in achieving the annual growth target over the next five years. Li said the government is considering more counter-cyclical adjustment policies to help businesses overcome economic difficulties.

"We didn't relax the fiscal policy this year ... the deficit ratio is not at a high level at the moment," Li said at the meeting.