China’s premier warns of ‘immense’ challenges to economy

China faces “immense” economic challenges as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, Premier Li Keqiang warned Friday as he opened his nation’s annual legislative session that will seek to tighten Beijing’s control over Hong Kong. Li’s opening speech to the 3,000-member National People’s Congress (NPC) is China’s version of the US president’s “state of the union” address, and he went straight into the threat of the pandemic that emerged on…