As China's economy slows, policymakers have pledged more aggressive tax reductions in 2019, fanning expectations among economists that the annual budget deficit ratio could be lifted to 3 percent of gross domestic product.

In 2018, the government lowered the annual budget deficit target to 2.6 percent of GDP from 3 percent in 2017 - the first cut since 2012.

(Reporting by Yawen Chen and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)