ADB lowers China's 2012 growth prediction

 BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday lowered its prediction for China's economic growth to 8.2 percent in 2012 and 8.5 percent in 2013, although a bank official said a hard landing is unlikely.

The ADB made the revised prediction in the newly published Asian Development Outlook Supplement. The agency predicted in April that China's gross domestic product would increase by 8.5 percent in 2012 and 8.7 percent in 2013.

The ADB said China has seen a fall in net exports, industrial production and fixed¹ asset investment, although government spending on health, education and large infrastructure² projects are expected to boost the economy.

As the country moves to a more sustainable growth model, growth may slow down more than expected, said the report.

"In this case, we're still confident that there will be no hard landing for China's economy," Robert Wihtol, director-general of ADB's east Asia department, said Thursday.

Wihtol said that although downside risks are increasing for China in the short-term, China's sound fiscal³ position and potential for further monetary⁴ expansion "should ensure a soft landing for the economy.""China's economic growth is estimated to moderate in the first half of 2012 and recover later in the year, underpinned⁵ by an expansionary policy stance," said Wihtol.

China on Monday announced that the inflation rate for the first half of the year was 3.3 percent, with the consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge⁶ of inflation, easing to a 29-month low of 2.2 percent in June, driven by falling food prices.

Wihtol said less inflationary pressure allows China's policymakers to focus on stabilizing⁷ growth, which will provide room for further stimulus⁸ measures.

Due to the weak economy, China lowered benchmark one-year interest rates two times in the first half and started work on liberalizing interest rate margins⁹.

Wihtol said given the current inflationary prospects¹⁰, further quantitative¹¹ easing will likely take place in the months ahead,particularly through additional reductions in the reserve requirement ratio.

Premier¹² Wen Jiabao said earlier this week that it is important to promote reasonable growth in investment to stabilize¹³ economic growth.

"It's important for China to maintain reasonable investment in order to meet short-term challenges," said Wihtol.

But Wihtol stressed that it is also important for the government to keep its eyes on the mid- and long-term target of economic rebalancing and restructuring.

China should direct its transformation¹⁴ toward a more sustainable development pattern to avoid the "middle income trap," he said.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is set to update figures for China's gross domestic product for the second quarter on Friday. Its GDP growth eased to a near-three-year low of 8.1 percent in the first quarter and is widely expected to slow for a sixth straight quarter in April-June.

1 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

4 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 underpinned   

v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的过去式和过去分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强

参考例句：

• The report is underpinned by extensive research. 这份报告以广泛的研究为基础。
• The statue of Diana was underpinned with charred piles. Diana雕像是建造在炭化了的木桩上的。 来自辞典例句

6 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

7 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

8 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

9 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。

12 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

13 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

14 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。