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 US$275 billion 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 by 15.8 percent, 2.1 percentage points higher than last year and the highest growth since 1997.
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(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2007)