Central People Government of People Re : Focus on China’s role in global economy

The World Economic Forum will be held in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan 17 to 20. The prospects for the Chinese economy and how it will intertwine with the global economy against the backdrop of increasing uncertainties will be among the topics to be discussed at the forum. We interviewed international experts to share their outlook on China in 2017.

1. China's Central Economic Work Conference said the country will continue to push supply-side structural reform in 2017. How do you assess China's achievement in that aspect so far? What are the most urgent tasks that China must carry out this year in order to push forward its structural reform?

2. Based on IMF forecasts, it is calculated that China's contribution to global growth this year could be more than 30 percent, much higher than that of the United States. How do you look at China's role as a key driver of the world economy? Will its economic restructuring and expected growth slowdown this year affect that role?

3. The world economy is faced with uncertainties, such as expected trade frictions, interest rate hikes by the Fed, and elections in Europe. Against that backdrop, how do you foresee China's growth prospects next year? What are your policy suggestions for China maintaining stable growth while accelerating reform this year?

Duncan Freeman, research fellow of the EU-China Research Centre, College of Europe in Belgium