China government think tank cuts GDP forecast: Report

Shanghai: The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), one of Beijing's top government think tanks, has revised its 2014 GDP growth forecast down to 7.4 per cent, below the official 7.5 per cent target, and says that growth could slow to as low as 7 per cent, state media reported on Wednesday.

The downward revision follows signs that China's economy slowed more than expected in the first quarter.

A report in the official China Securities Journal quoted the report published on Tuesday as saying that China's economic growth would continue to be driven by investment, but warned that excess production capacity and heavy local government debt burdens would slow fixed asset investment.