今年以来，面对错综复杂的国际国内环境，中国经济面临下行压力，但运行总体平稳。上半年GDP增长7.4%，第三季度基本延续这种态势。这一增速相对于中国过去10%左右的高速度，虽有所下降，但还属于中高水平。从世界范围看，我们的增长速度是高的。中国的经济总量已经相当大，现在7%的增量相当于、甚至高于过去10%的增量，也相当于一个中等经济体的规模。

Since the start of this year, in the face of a complex environment at home and abroad, the Chinese economy, under heavy downward pressure, has managed to maintain a stable performance on the whole. Its GDP grew by 7.4% in the first half of this year, a momentum that has basically continued into the third quarter. Although this figure is somewhat lower than China’s high-speed growth of about 10% in the past, it remains a medium-to-high growth rate. Worldwide, our growth rate is still high. Given China’s large economic size, the 7% increase in its economy today equals, if not exceeds, a 10% increase in its economy in the past. The increase is also equivalent to the size of a medium-sized economy.

今年年初和近几个月，中国经济一些指标出现小幅波动，但经济运行仍处于合理区间。有波动是难免的，类似波动在去年也发生过，其他国家的增长也不是一条直线。我们提出中国经济运行要保持在合理区间，今年增长的预期目标是7.5%左右。请朋友们注意，这里有个“左右”。也就是说，只要就业比较充分、物价比较稳定、居民收入同步增长、生态环保取得积极成果，经济增速比7.5%高一点、低一点，都是可以接受的。对于中国政府来说，最关注的还是就业。今年以来，虽然经济增速有所放缓，但就业不降反增。1-9月，城镇新增就业超过1000万人、与去年同期相比多增了十几万人，31个大城市调查失业率保持在5%左右。

In the beginning of this year and in recent months, there have been some small fluctuations in some of China’s economic indicators, yet the economy is still running within a reasonable range. It is inevitable to have some fluctuations, which also occurred last year. And the growth of other countries is not a perfect straight line either. We maintain that the Chinese economy needs to perform within a reasonable range. The growth target for this year is set at around 7.5%. I would like to draw your attention to the word “around”. This means that with adequate employment and relatively stable price levels, and as long as we could ensure parallel growth of household income and positive progress in protecting the environment, a growth rate slightly higher or lower than 7.5% would be considered acceptable. For the Chinese government, its focus is still on employment. Since the start of this year, although economic growth has somewhat slowed, employment has increased. From January to September, more than 10 million urban jobs were created, over 100,000 more than that of the same period of last year. Surveyed unemployment rate has stayed at around 5% in 31 big cities.