Planner rules out hard landing

The Chinese economy is not heading for a hard landing and the country is confident of achieving a reasonable growth rate, the top economic planner said on Sunday.

"Predictions of a hard landing are destined to come to nothing. ... Rest assured, this possibility does not exist," Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a news conference.

"We are confident and capable of keeping the economic growth rate within a reasonable range," Xu said.