BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) — Maintaining economic growth is the major task of China’s macroeconomic policies, an official said Friday.

Zhu Zhixin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a news briefing that China was still confronted with increasing difficulties and risks as the global economy was till reeling after the financial crisis.

China has entered a period of slower growth, but maintaining growth within a “proper range” still drives macroeconomic control, Zhu said.

The government set a 7.5 percent target for growth last year. In the first three quarters, the economy expanded by 7.4 percent year on year. Data for the whole year is expected next Tuesday.