The economy expanded by 11.4 percent year on year in 2007 - at the fastest clip since 1994 and the fifth consecutive year it grew by more than 10 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday.

The ups and downs each year have also been within 1 percentage point in the past five years, which is an "extraordinary" feat, NBS chief Xie Fuzhan told a press conference.

The economy will "hopefully maintain stable growth this year and after", but faces challenges, Xie said.