Chinese leaders meet on economy

BEIJING, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Chinese economic experts met Monday to set next year's course for the economy, which President Hu Jintao says faces challenges in the current global crisis.

The three-day meeting of the Central Economic Work Conference will seek ways to offset the adverse impact from the global financial turmoil and ensure the country's economic growth next year, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Hu had warned last month that the current global challenges -- as well as domestic issues such as the large population, limited resources and environmental problems -- would make it harder for China to maintain the pace of its economic development in the near term.

At this week's meeting, analysts told Xinhua they expected the experts to come up with specific strategies to resolve next year's likely problems, such as the risk of economic slowdown, difficulties in small and medium-sized enterprises and the transformation of economic growth pattern.

However, they said the country's economic growth would still be maintained at 9 percent in 2009, compared to 11.4 percent expansion last year.

Hu has said China will pursue an "all-rounded and sustainable" growth, stressing both quality and efficiency next year.