The global economic crisis poses a special threat to China, President Hu Jintao was quoted Sunday as saying in a speech to the Political Bureau of the Communist Party's Central Committee, dpa reported.
China will find it harder to maintain the pace of its economic development in the near future as it was under growing tension from its large population, limited resources and environment problems.
It needed faster reform of its economic growth pattern to achieve sustainable development, Hu was quoted by Xinhua news agency as telling the meeting Saturday.
International competition was fiercer than ever and protectionism had started to increase in investment and trade, said Hu.
Observers said the clear warning, coming from such a high level, showed just how concerned the Chinese leadership had become about the global crisis.
The World Bank has revised downwards its original prediction of 9.2 per cent economic growth in China for next year to some 7.5 per cent - the lowest for a decade.