A major government think tank expects the mainland's economic growth to slow this quarter.
The State Information Centre predicted second-quarter growth would be 7.5 per cent, a drop from 8.1 per cent in the quarter to March 31.
It urged Beijing to slash taxes to support the nation's companies in the face of weaker external demand.
The think tank's downbeat estimate echoed those of economists with global banks who lowered their forecasts for China's economy.
'All signs are showing that the world economy has run out of steam,' the State Information Centre said in a report. 'The rising costs for labour, raw materials and financing are dragging down corporate profit growth, causing a drop in investment in the manufacturing sector.'
Goldman Sachs predicted yesterday the country's economic growth would slow to 7.9 per cent in the second quarter. It had earlier forecast growth of 8.6 per cent.
Outbound shipments, a major driving force of the mainland economy, would likely rise 6.8 per cent in the second quarter from a year earlier, the think tank's report said.