China is "sure" that it can achieve its target of eight percent economic growth for 2009, a spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday as third quarter data was released.

"We are sure that we can achieve the full year target of eight percent. There is no question about it," Li Xiaochao told reporters.

Beijing sees eight percent growth as essential for job creation and social stability in the nation of 1.3 billion people.

The economy expanded by 8.9 percent in the third quarter as compared with the same period last year, and by 7.7 percent for the first nine months of the year, official data released Thursday showed.

AFP

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