China will deepen economic and political reforms after the Beijing Olympics, President Hu Jintao said on Friday.

"Our first priority of macro adjustment is to maintain steady and relatively fast economic growth and curb excessive price rises," Hu said told journalists from 25 news organizations from around the world.

The group interview came a week ahead of the start of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Hu said preparations for the Games had undoubtedly boosted Beijing's economic and social development.

"However, Beijing's GDP accounts for a tiny part of China's total, so people should not over estimate the impact of the preparations of the Olympic Games on the Chinese economy," he said.

China had maintained a solid growth since the beginning of the year despite severe winter weather that struck south China in January and magnitude 8 earthquake that killed around 70,000 people in May.

"Yet we have noticed that there are growing uncertainties and unstable factors in the international environment. China's domestic economy is facing increasing challenges and difficulties," Hu said.

The government would deepen reform and opening-up, step up environmental protection and energy efficiency, reduce emissions and improve living standards.

With the concerted efforts of all Chinese people and the support of the international community, China would be able to reconstruct the quake-affected areas as soon as possible, he said.

"While constantly deepening economic reform and achieving sound and fast economic and social development, we will continue to pursue comprehensive reforms, including reforms of the political system," Hu said.

China will further expand socialistic democracy, build a socialistic country where the law and only the law rules, speed up the reform of the administrative system, improve the efficiency and services of government departments, protect people's rights and interests, and build a society characterized by democracy, unity, vitality, stability and harmony, he said.

Source: Xinhua