BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's economy may expand slightly slower in the second half of 2007 than the first half, an official with the State Information Center said Saturday.

    China's gross domestic product will likely grow by 11.3 percent this year, Fan Jianping, forecasting department chief of the center under the National Development and Reform Commission, said at an investment forum.

    China's GDP expanded 11.9 percent in the second quarter this year, lifting first-half growth to 11.5 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics announced in July.

    The official forecast that China's trade surplus will soar 55 percent year-on-year to 275 billion U.S. dollars this year despite rising yuan and scrap of or cut in export rebates.

    Fan estimated the urban fixed asset investment will rise 26.1 percent this year, 1.6 percentage points higher than a year ago.

    "The high growth in fixed asset investment will make the current problem of overproduction more serious in the future," Fan said.

    The industrial output is likely to grow 17.6 percent in 2007, one percentage point higher than in 2006, he said.

    Fan said the growth momentum in retail sales will continue in the second half, boosted by rapid income rise expectation and increasing stronger consumer confidence.

    He said the retail sales for the whole year will likely grow by15.8 percent, 2.1 percentage points higher than last year and the highest growth since 1997.

Report: China's economy on verge of overheating

    BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's economy remains on the brink of overheating following another 12 months of soaring industrial output and money supply, a central government report said on Wednesday.

Chinese economy remains in "good shape"

    BEIJING, July 28 -- The Chinese economy remains in good shape despite some problems that appeared as the economy soared in the first half of this year, top Chinese officials said.

Experts upbeat about Chinese economy in 2nd half

    BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- After government decisions to slash deposit interest tax and increase interest rates for third time this year, which were announced over the weekend, some economists believe all necessary regulatory policies have been put in place for the Chinese economy, and some others hold the macro control should be further tightened.