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President Xi interviewed by Wall Street Journal

(Agencies)

Updated: 2015-09-22 18:30:35

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On Chinese economy and the government's measures to shore up confidence among investors

China's economic growth is still one of the fastest in the world. In the first half of the year, the Chinese economy grew by 7%, which is hard-won considering the intricacy and changeable nature of the overall global economy. A growth rate of around 7% would be sufficient to reach our goal of doubling the 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020.

The Chinese economy is still operating within the proper range. What China needs is a higher quality and efficiency of economic development by successfully addressing the problem of unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable development, so that our economy will be put on a more solid basis and go forward more steadily. We are stepping up efforts to shift our growth model, make structural adjustment and place greater emphasis on developing an innovation and consumption-driven economy. It is our hope that by solving these problems, China's economy will transform itself and retain its robust dynamism for development.

Against the overall global economic backdrop, many countries have encountered difficulties. The Chinese economy is also under a downward pressure. But it is a problem in the course of progress. What I want to emphasize, in particular, is that whatever happens, China will stay strongly committed to deepening its reform on all fronts while opening still wider to the outside world. We will work in a coordinated fashion to ensure growth, promote reform, make structural adjustment, improve people's well-being and forestall risks, enhancing and innovating macro-regulation and ensuring steady and fairly rapid economic development. With China steadily promoting a new type of industrialization, IT application, urbanization and agricultural modernization, its household savings rate being so high and consumer spending enjoying a huge potential plus its diligent workforce, its rising middle-income population, its robust service sector and its vast and potential-rich market, China has the capacity and is in the position to maintain a medium-high growth in the years to come.

To understand China's economy, one needs to take a longer view. If you liken it to a large ship on the sea, the question you ask is whether it is sailing in the right direction, does it have sufficient engine power and energy to stay long. Any ship, however large, may occasionally get unstable sailing on the high sea. Investors will come to a right judgment if they have a full understanding of China's progress in economic development since the start of reform and opening-up, of China's strategies formulated recently to ensure sustained and steady growth, and of the relevant data and trends in China's economic performance. The report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai showed that 95% of the surveyed businesses have planned to increase or maintain their investment in China. That is a decision made by over 300 American entrepreneurs, a decision I believe all smart investors will make.

 
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