Forecasts bright, govt must tread lightly: Economists

Economists may have reached a consensus that China's economy will grow at a moderately faster pace next year than this year but some are warning that the government's excessive emphasis on GDP growth will distort an already-tilted economic structure.

China's economy will grow 8.8 percent next year and lead the world out of the recession, according to a preview of the United Nation's annual economic forecast, which predicted that the global economy will expand 2.4 percent as compared to this year's 2.2 percent contraction.

The nation's 2010 growth estimate is higher than the UN's prediction in June, yet it's still below the double-digit growth from pre-crisis levels. China is expected to experience the world's fastest growth in 2010 because of public and private investments; the US economy, the world's largest, will outpace Japan, the UK and Euro zone countries, the UN report said.