Slower but robust growth seen in H2, says leading experts

Economy 'will be bolstered by drivers such as consumption in smaller cities'

China's economy may grow slightly slower in the second half of the year but will remain robust supported by improved external demand and domestic private investment, a leading economist at Morgan Stanley said on Monday.

China's GDP rose 6.9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter, official data showed. The growth beat a market consensus of 6.8 percent and was well above the government's full-year target of "around 6.5 percent".