China's debt 'still moderate', says senior IMF official

China's current debt has not surged to an outlandish level, but the country should press ahead with reforms as the economy retains its strong growth momentum, a senior representative with the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday.

"China's current public debt level, by our definition, which is a broad definition, is still moderate in an international context," said Alfred Schipke, the IMF's senior resident representative for China.

The rapid rise in debt, rather than overall debt, has caused concerns, he said.