CHINA will, without any doubt, be able to achieve the 8 percent growth in gross domestic product this year, a senior Chinese economist said yesterday.

Yao Jingyuan, chief economist with the National Bureau of Statistics, made the remarks at a Fortune forum in Beijing.

However he warned that the Chinese economy will still face two major problems next year - slumping overseas market demand and weak driving force domestically.

China's economy rose 7.7 percent in the first three quarters this year, driven mainly by investment and consumption, as exports slumped, Yao said.