China Expects Higher Growth Rate This YearChina's economy will have a higher rate of growth in 2000 than in 1999, Qiu Xiaohua, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics, said in Beijing Friday.Qiu told a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council this morning that the Chinese economy has been growing steadily and soundly since the start of the year. Though investment, consumption and exports are rising, Qiu predicted that the growth rate for the second quarter of this year would be marginally lower than the 8.1 percent in the first quarter. He explained that this is because agriculture production would be lower in the second quarter than in the first quarter due to seasonal factors. |
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