HSBC forecasts China's GDP growth of 8.1% this year

Shanghai, November 1 (Xinhua liping, Yu) HSBC Group chairman of the 21st International Entrepreneur Consultation Meeting held in Shanghai 1st, said HSBC's 2009 forecast of China's GDP growth has been raised to 8.1%.　　Mr Green said that despite the global economic turmoil, the crisis would not reverse the dramatic trend of two major changes: The rise of China and the eastward shift of the global economic centre of gravity.　　As one of the world's largest banks and financial institutions, HSBC expects the stimulus package to further accelerate China's GDP growth, and China is poised to maintain its economic recovery in 2010, he said. "The global financial crisis continues to have a negative impact on economies and financial centres, despite signs that financial markets are starting to stabilise."　　But China is one of the few economies that can still sustain growth.　　Mr Green also noted that Shanghai has maintained relatively steady growth in the global financial crisis, demonstrating China's economic strength and the potential for Shanghai to become a world-class financial centre. He said the global financial Centre Index and similar research show that only two cities, New York and London, are now a well-deserved global financial centre. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, however, the world has begun to call for Asia to emerge as an international financial centre of equal importance.