China's politburo, the country's top decision-making body, pledged on Tuesday to keep economic growth stable in the second half by fine-tuning policies, while pressing ahead with reforms and restructuring, the official Xinhua news agency said.
A meeting of the body, presided over by President Xi Jinping, was the first since official data showed economic growth slowed to 7.5 percent in the second quarter from 7.7 percent in the first three months of 2013.
Tuesday's comments were the latest in series by top leaders affirming their policy stance for the world's second-largest economy, which has slowed in nine of the past 10 quarters.
"The central authorities will continue to coordinate the multiple tasks of stabilising growth, restructuring the economy and promoting reforms," Xinhua said, citing a statement released after the politburo meeting.
China's economy faces "extremely complicated domestic and international conditions", the leadership concluded, according to Xinhua.
Top leaders have made clear they will accept a slowdown in growth to push attempts to restructure the economy away from dependence for growth on exports and manufacturing, and towards one driven by consumption and services.
However, they have indicated that annual growth should not be allowed to slip below 7 percent.
"We should grasp the direction, intensity and rhythm of macro-controls to keep the economic performance within in a reasonable range," the politburo said.
While the statement reaffirmed current fiscal and monetary policies, it said that "based on changes in the economic situation, we will pre-emptively fine-tune policies in a timely way and increase financial support for the real economy."
'Human-centred' urbanisation
The government will also push "human-centred" urbanisation and promote stable and healthy development of the real estate sector, it added.
China plans to bring 400 million people to its cities over the next decade. The country will steadily loosen its rigid residence registration, or hukou, system that keeps people from getting access to basic welfare services outside their official residence area.
Analysts in a Reuters poll have forecast China's annual GDP growth will slow to 7.4 percent in the third quarter before stablising in the final quarter of 2013. Full-year growth is forecast at 7.5 percent, in line with the official target.
The State Council, China's cabinet, has pledged to increase investment in affordable housing for poor families. It has also announced policies to support small- and medium-sized enterprises as well as efforts to speed up development in energy-saving industries and the telecoms sector.
Leaders are expected to hold the third plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in October to set their economic agenda for the next decade. The plenum may also include some political reform.
Historically, third plenums have been a springboard for key changes in China. One such session, in the 1990s, spawned sweeping economic reforms introduced by then-Premier Zhu Rongji.
中共中央政治局称下半年经济政策将适时适度预调微调
中共中央政治局周二召开会议称，下半年中国经济仍将保持总体平稳发展态势，在政策上将坚持宏观经济政策连续性、稳定性，提高针对性、协调性，根据经济形势变化，适时适度进行预调和微调。
新华社报导指出，会议分析研究了上半年经济形势和下半年经济工作，表示将继续实施积极的财政政策和稳健的货币政策。会议由中共中央总书记习近平主持。
“当前，我国发展仍处于可以大有作为的重要战略机遇期，具备经济持续健康发展的基础条件，下半年我国经济仍将保持总体平稳发展态势。同时，也要认识到，世界经济正在深度调整，国内外发展环境十分复杂。”会议指出。
会议强调，要坚持统筹稳增长、调结构、促改革，坚持宏观政策要稳、微观政策要活、社会政策要托底，努力实现三者有机统一，把握好宏观调控的方向、力度、节奏，使经济运行处于合理区间。
会议并提出，下半年要盘活存量、优化增量、着力提高财政资金使用效益，加大金融支持实体经济的力度，“把钱用在刀刃上”。
首创证券研究所副所长王剑辉表示，会议基本上是重复之前的政策，只是由中共中央政治局这个层面来概述了一遍。“我们认为在今年年底中央经济工作会议召开之前，这些政策应该都不会有明显的改变。”
他分析称，中国的经济增长状况目前也没有明显的变化，放缓也是可控的，政策没有调整的必要，同时，这些政策发挥作用也还需要一段时间的观察。
中国经济增速已连续两个季度回落，二季度GDP同比增速降至7.5%，而今年全年增速目标为7.5%左右。在市场普遍认为新领导层力推调结构对经济放缓的容忍度有所提高之际，国务院总理李克强提出，要通过宏观调控使经济运行保持在合理区间，其下限是稳增长保就业，上限是防范通胀，在不同发展时段，上下限可以有所不同。
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