The Central Economic Work Conference was held under Chinese President Xi Jinping's chairmanship from December 16-18, 2020. Chinese officials proposed tougher antitrust restrictions at the key economic planning meeting, as the Chinese government targets the growing power of the country's technology groups. A statement released following the Central Economic Work Conference said efforts will be made to intensify anti-monopoly supervision and prevent disorderly capital expansion next year.  Nikkei Asia (December 19) separately claimed that China's leadership plans to set its real economic growth target at about 8% for 2021, as they feel the country nears a full recovery from the coronavirus-induced lull it suffered this year. China's gross domestic product is estimated to have increased just about 2% this year due to the pandemic, but it quoted a government source as saying "Exports are expected to stay strong in 2021, so we can achieve growth of around 8% even with less government spending." The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences predicts that GDP could jump 19% in January-March from a year prior, when the country logged its first quarter of negative growth on record. Nikkei Asia said the Central Economic Work Conference probably approved the 8% target and it will be announced at the National People's Congress that starts in March.