News Analysis: China at Crossroad As World Economy Wobbles

    With its banks shielded from the worst effects of the crisis by its capital account control, plenty of liquidity and limited exposure to sophisticated derivatives, China still faces the effects of recession on its main export markets, the United States and Europe.

    "With such a high reliance on international trade, it's impossible for China to avoid the impact of the global turbulence, so economic slowdown is inevitable," says Tang Min, deputy secretary-general of the China Development Research Foundation, which was initiated by a policy advisory body of the Cabinet.

    "However, the crisis is a timely warning that China's growth is unsustainable in the traditional pattern, relying too much on external demand," says Tang. "It can force us to change for the better."

    China's economy has maintained an average annual growth of about 10 percent for 30 years since the reform and opening-up policy was adopted, compared with a mere 3.3 percent for the world economy. For the last five years, it expanded 10.6 percent each year on average. But can it continue?

    (Source:Xinhua )