Govt prepared to combat slowdown: NDRC official

The government is ready to introduce a series of measures to cushion the impact of slower growth in foreign trade and industrial output caused by the global credit crisis, the vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Du Ying said that as the global economy has slowed, foreign trade volume, value-added output and the profit growth of industrial firms based in China's coastal areas have shown a downward trend in the second half of the year.

"The State Council is greatly concerned by the trend and is ready to introduce a series of measures," he said.