BEIJING- China's annual meeting of parliament, which begins on Friday, will close on the afternoon of March 11, National People's Congress spokesman Zhang Yesui told a news conference on Thursday.

Thousands of delegates are gathering in Beijing for the meeting, at which China will announce goals for 2021 as well as its next five-year plan for economic development.

(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; writing by Tom Daly; editing by John Stonestreet) ((tom.daly@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 5669 2119;))