China is likely to achieve its growth target of 7.5 percent this year despite planned structural reforms to rebalance the world's second largest economy, the World Bank president said Sunday.

Jim Yong Kim made the comment while on a four-day visit to China focusing on issues relating to carbon emission reduction and urbanization.

"We think the growth (for China this year) will be at about 7.5 percent," Kim told a press conference in Shanghai on the first day of his visit.

"The data from August suggests that China will reach its goal."

Earlier this month the government announced a series of better-than-expected indicators for August, including strong exports and industrial output, which pointed to a pick-up in the domestic economy.

China's economy expanded by 7.7 percent last year, its slowest growth since 1999.

The authorities have so far been reluctant to introduce large-scale stimulus measures. But they have pledged to push forward structural reforms to shift the economy from dependence on big-ticket investments and more toward consumer demand as the key growth engine.

"The government is committed to financial-sector reforms and also fiscal policy reforms that we think will pave the way for meeting the long-term growth," Kim told reporters in Shanghai.

"We think this is the right path."

Global Times