Beijing's measures to control price rises have had some initial success, but inflation pressures remain strong in the first quarter, Ba Shusong, an economist at a government think tank, was quoted as saying by the People's Daily on Monday.
Factors driving price pressures include imported inflation, strong inflation expectations, and the Lunar New Year holiday, Ba, a deputy director-general of the Financial Research Institute under the State Council's Development Research Center, said in an interview with the paper.
Still, inflation remains "within a controllable range" and doesn't compare to historical periods of strong inflation, Ba said. Unless there is a major natural disaster, inflation pressures in 2011 should remain less than in 2007 and 2008, Ba said.
China's consumer price index rose by 4.8% in 2007 and 5.9% in 2008, according to government statistics.
Ba predicted that China's gross domestic product growth this year is likely to fluctuate between 9% and 10%, while growth in the U.S. may exceed expectations.
