China will consolidate its economic growth tempo in 2010 after the momentary deceleration of its economy in 2009, a Cuban expert said Sunday.

Eduardo Regalado, an expert with the Asia and Oceania Studies Center (CEAO), told local daily Juventud Rebelde that China's main task in 2010 is "to consolidate its growth tempo by transforming its economic model."

He added that China did not experience an economic recession in2009 as many other countries did, although it suffered a momentary deceleration. He attributed China's good economic performance to the anti-crisis measures taken by the Chinese government.

"China now seeks to increase its internal demand to achieve an economy less dependant on the external sector and exports in order to lighten the negative effects of the climate change," Regalado said.

China also seeks to improve the people's living standards to close the gaps between those with different acquisitive power, between rural and urban areas and between the east and west of the country, Regalado said.

Regalado believed the Chinese government would continue taking measures to counteract the effects of the world crisis.

"All what China has committed to do at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is a world necessity, but it is also a concrete urgency for China," he added.

Regalado said that in 2010, China will have a boost in the international organizations as well as in regions like Africa and Latin America which are "forgotten" by Europe and the United States.

The Cuban expert said China wants to promote balance at the international level, so it does not want to form the so-called Group of Two (G2) between China and the United States.

"China does not accept a G2 concept, because it gives priority to solve the problem in a multilateral way through international organizations," Regalado added.

He stressed that ties between China and Latin America will continuously grow and be further strengthened.

"The demand of China makes the Latin American countries grow economically as a result of the growing volume of exports to China and the agreed prices of raw materials imported by China," Regalado said.

Also, China invests in Latin American countries, especially in such sectors as infrastructure, which the European countries and the United States are not interested in, Regalado said.

According to Regalado, World Expo 2010 Shanghai scheduled from May 1 to Oct. 31 in China's biggest commercial city Shanghai will be essential to boosting the economic ties between China and Latin American countries.

The Shanghai Expo "will be perfect to give a new boost to the presence of China in the international economy," Regalado said.