China needs to consolidate macro-control measures 
 
  (Xinhua)  Updated: 2006-10-22 11:01  The rapid growth of China's economy has been 
relatively brought under control, but effects of macro-control measures need to 
be further consolidated, said Xie Fuzhan, director of China's National Bureau of 
Statistics (NBS) in Suzhou on Saturday. 
This is the first time Xie commented on China's macro-economy since he was 
appointed head of NBS earlier this month. 
 The fast growth of investment and loans has been restrained, and the economy 
is heading in the intended direction, said Xie at the ongoing 2006 China 
Economic Growth Forum. 
 China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 10.7 percent year-on-year in the 
first three quarters, down 0.2 percentage points from the first half of the 
year. 
 Fixed assets investment surged by 27.3 percent over the same period last 
year, 2.5 percentage points lower compared with that in the first six months. 
 Despite the double-digit economic growth, the inflation rate, or the consumer 
price index (CPI) only inched up 1.3 percent in the first nine months. 
 But Xie said many problems still hinder the healthy growth of Chinese 
economy, including the worsening imbalance of international payments, rapidly 
rising energy consumption, a deteriorating environment and growing pressure on 
raising farmers' income. 
 Xie said the government will step up efforts to transform the economic growth 
mode and strengthen the independent innovation. 
  
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