Noted economist urges China to change pattern of growth

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Chinese media) -- Wu Jinglian, a well-known economist with the

Development Research Center under China's State Council (cabinet), said in an

article that transforming the mode of growth remained China's key task amid the

economic hardship caused by the global financial crisis.

"In the long run, the key task for China is to change its growth mode since

it is the root cause of imbalances in both the internal and external markets,"

Wu wrote in the Beijing-based Caijing magazine.

"Without this transformation, China could not solve the problems caused by

excess consumption of natural resources, or environmental pollution, or the

problem of too much investment and insufficient domestic consumption, or the

problem in the financial sector," he said.

The government hopes to achieve more sustainable and steady growth with a

better skilled work force and technological innovation. It also aims to boost

domestic demand.