China's finance minister said he expects growth in the world's second-largest economy to come in at 7 percent this year, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday, which would be below the government's official forecast.
(Read More: Poll: Will China Experience a 'Hard Landing' in 2013?)
Lou Jiwei, speaking in Washington, was quoted as saying that 7 percent growth should not be considered as the bottom line, and that while the economy was slowing there would not be a hard landing.
China's official growth target for this year is 7.5 percent, which would be its slowest in 23 years.
(Read More: US-China Talks Cover Cyber Issues, Currency, Chinese Reform)
"Despite the slowdown of China's economic growth rate, the structural reform is paying off," Xinhua quoted Lou as saying on the sidelines of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.