Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his government’s economic stewardship and said that China’s slowing growth and market fluctuations won’t deter needed reforms.

While China’s National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) reporting on GDP growth grates have been called into question by international observers, there is acknowledgement that the structure of China’s economy is changing. The real test of the reliability of official reporting, therefore, will come when NBS issues its Q3 headline GDP figure.

China’s economy has shifted to a slow gear, having a bigger impact on those resource-exporting countries which highly depend on China’s market, but having no remarkable impact on European and the US economic growth. In particular, China’s slow economy is not the “culprit” of the recent US stock market slump, which was caused by the American market’s own problems.

The IMF holds a cautiously optimistic view about the prospects of the Chinese economy, recognizing that the important reason for a slowdown in China’s economy is the change in its development strategy. The services industry is rising, R&D is expanding slowly, and the financial system is modernizing. These changes take time and patience: If China chooses to slow down a little bit, it will be easier for the country to succeed and achieve the long-term goals it has anticipated.

The Wall Street Journal writes, "China is committed to reform despite slower growth, has the tools to avoid a major economic setback and won't resort to a currency war to benefit its exporters, the nation's premier said in a speech to global business leaders on Thursday.

The lens of government intervention in China has led foreign observers to misinterpret some of the most important developments this year in the foreign exchange market and the stock market.

China has entered into a crucial period of comprehensive deepening of reform. Reform carried out in some areas has already addressed quite a few chronic problems. Other major reform initiatives are under deliberation as well.

Tectonic shifts are occurring in the economy, financial markets, geopolitical strategy, and social policy. The ultimate test may well lie in managing the exceedingly complex interplay among these developments. Is China’s leadership up to the task, or has it bitten off too much at once?

Enjoying great potential and elasticity, the Chinese economy has enough leeway to cope with various changes and challenges, and its general trend of steady growth -- pushing the global economy towards recovery -- remains unchanged.

The government’s aggressive response in stabilizing “Uncle Xi’s bull market,” has highlighted the political nature and disconnect between the stock market and overall economic health. The government must decide whether to continue its efforts to open the capital account and liberalize the exchange rate.