Chinese President Xi Jinping has cautioned officials about risks to the country’s economic stability and directed them to deal with turbulence and disruptions, as the spectre of long term economic slowdown loomed large over China with GDP last year slumping to 30 year low.

Take all the necessary precautionary steps and be vigilant about any risks that could jeopardise China’s stability and reforms, Xi told officials summoned to Beijing for a Communist Party study session on Monday.

Hundreds of senior officials from all provinces and autonomous regions attended the study session at the Communist Party School in Beijing which was held in the backdrop of the release of official economic data pointing Chinese economy slowing down to 6.6 per cent, lowest since 1990.

Overall in 2018, China’s GDP grew 6.6 per cent to 90.03 trillion yuan , the state-run National Bureau of Statistics said. In a closely watched speech marking 40 years of market liberalisation, Chinese President Xi Jinping says China will continue to reform, but at its own pace. We must strengthen strategic judgment and deployment in major innovation sectors, and speed up setting up national labs,” he said.