The World Bank said Wednesday that China's stronger-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter prompted the bank to revise its forecast of economic growth for this year from 9.2 percent to 9.5 percent.

This implies a slowdown in the remaining part of the year and into 2007, assuming that a moderate policy tightening can keep investment growth in check, and the current account surplus may rise again this year, although it should decline as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), the bank said in its China Quarterly Update made public on Wednesday.

Louis Kuijs, a senior economist with the bank's China mission, and main author of the report, told reporters that sustained rapid growth is expected to go on in China, adding that global conditions and growth prospects remain favorable, and rates of growth in international commodity prices are coming down, although upward risks on commodity prices remain.

China's GDP grew up by 10.2 percent during the first quarter of this year over the same 2005 period, together with the country's credit expansion in the quarter have surprised on the upside, according to the report.

The bank said much of the growth surprise stemmed from stronger exports, and domestic demand grew in line with expectations. Investment continued to power ahead, partly due to an up tick in credit growth, with more new lending going into real estate development.

The bank said that prolonged strong foreign exchange inflows continue to complicate monetary policy. With the trade surplus, foreign direct investment (FDI), and non-FDI inflows all up, foreign exchange reserves surged by 56 billion US dollars to 875 billion US dollars.

China's policy of "keeping bank liquidity high, and thus inter-bank interest rates low, has so far succeeded in dealing with the exchange rate challenges," according to the report.

It warned that the easy monetary stance sits oddly with concerns about too rapid credit and investment growth, including to real estate, and this development could lead to overcapacity and rising non-performing loans down the road.

More policy action is required to keep credit and investment growth in check, mitigate external imbalances, and to entrench the rebalancing of growth patterns, the bank said.

Bert Hofman, chief economist for the bank's China mission, said that further monetary tightening, after the increase in benchmark bank lending rates of April 27, should include "mopping up liquidity in the inter-bank market", possibly supported by measure to limit credit to risky sectors such as real estate.

"To limit renewed liquidity buildup from foreign exchange inflows triggered by higher domestic interest rates, the (Chinese) government could choose to accelerate the planned gradual appreciation of the currency and take further measures to limit those inflows, or increase outflows," he acknowledged.

Accelerated appreciation would also help reducing current account surpluses and rebalancing growth towards consumption, and any adverse effect on vulnerable sectors of such a move could be mitigated by fiscal policy, said the economist.

Bert said the risk of deflation could be addressed by speeding up administrative price reforms, including for energy and utilities.

Kuijs called on China to take structural measures in medium term to rebalance its economic growth.

"Increasing domestic consumption and reducing the saving-investment surplus can be achieved by shifting government spending from investment to health, education, and the social safety net; speeding up financial sector reform; and improving corporate governance and dividend policies," he said.

"Investment can be shifted into nontradables (services) by removing several subsidies for manufacturing stemming from the pricing of inputs (land, energy, water, utilities, and the environment) and through the tax system."

Source: Xinhua