The State Information Centre forecasts that gross domestic product in China will grow by about 6.7 percent this year, the Financial News reports.

The Chinese newspaper quotes State Information Centre Chief Economist Zhu Baoliang as saying the official think tank forecasts that the annual rate of growth will be 6.6 percent in the third quarter of this year and 6.4 percent growth in the fourth as investment demand expands more slowly.

Mr. Zhu said uncertainty clouded the outlook for growth in trade.

The State Information Centre forecasts that the annual rate of growth in the US dollar value of Chinese exports will slow to 6 percent in the second half and that the annual rate of growth in US dollar value of Chinese imports will slow to 10 percent, the Financial News says.

Chinese GDP expanded at an annual rate of 6.9 percent in the first quarter, having grown by 6.7 percent last year.