Hu warns of 'arduous' challenges ahead

President Hu Jintao said China will have to struggle to maintain a stable society and economic growth amidst the global financial crisis, Bloomberg reported. Hu said that the financial crisis was not yet over for China, and there were still many unstable and uncertain factors to deal with. "Ensuring and improving the people’s livelihood as well as the mission of maintaining a stable society are arduous tasks as we face the impact of the global economic crisis," Hu said. State media also reported an economist at the National Bureau of Statistics saying that China’s target of 8% growth in gross domestic product this year was "difficult but attainable."