Think tank predicts 8.4% China GDP growth

BEIJING - A leading think tank predicted on Saturday that China's GDP will grow in 2013 at a rate of 8.4 percent, up by 0.6 percentage points from that of 2012.

The Center for Forecasting Science with the Chinese Academy of Sciences said it expects China's economy will see a modest rebound in 2013, with secondary and tertiary industries rising by 8.9 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively.

It put year-on-year growth in primary industry at 4.7 percent.

Consumption and investment will drive economic growth up by between 4.2 and 4.5 percent, while exports from the world's second-largest economy are expected to decline by 0.3 percent, the center's figures show.

China's annual gross domestic product in 2012 grew 7.8 percent year on year, the lowest in 13 years.