Skepticism about China's economic growth 'groundless': spokesperson

BEIJING - National Development and Reform Commision spokesperson refuted foreign media's skepticism about China's recent economic growth figures on Monday, saying such suspicions are "groundless."

"There is no basis for such skepticism," the spokesperson Yuan Da told a press conference, citing a series of robust economic indicators.

Over 500 million people hit the road during the seven-day National Day holiday. China's power use rose 4.4 percent in the first nine months, while cargo volumes increased 5.9 percent during the period.

"The indicators were the most direct reflections of economic growth, which prove that the national economy maintained overall stability," Yuan said.

The world's largest developing economy registered a 6.2-percent growth year-on-year during the first three quarters, within the government's annual target of 6 to 6.5 percent, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Friday.

Although the country's economic growth cooled down to 6 percent in the third quarter, the figure remained the highest among all the major economies, Yuan said.

It is acceptable whether the figure is lower or higher as long as employment and people's incomes are expanding, as well as the ecological environment and development quality are improving, he added.