China will become the world's largest manufacturer by 2015 as the country's economy will continue growing rapidly, a state-run think tank said Tuesday.
China became last year the world's second-largest producer of manufacturing output, according to United Nations data. China's share of the global total of manufacturing value was 15.6 percent, compared to Japan with 15.4 percent. The U.S. was on the top with 19 percent.
"China will surpass the U.S. as the world's manufacturing superpower during the 2011-2015 period," said Zhang Wenkui, deputy director at the State Council's Development Research Center.
The researcher estimated that China's economic growth will reach 9 percent or more for the next five years, surpassing the 7-percent growth, which the government has set as a goal. By 2015, China's gross domestic product (GDP) will reach at least 60 trillion yuan (US$9 trillion).
China's GDP, or the total value of goods and services produced in an economy, came to US$5.88 trillion last year, compared with $14.6 trillion for the U.S.
Zhang expected China will see a stronger competitiveness in the global markets, accompanied with a great improvement in product quality and logistics.
"Since 2003, the Chinese economy as a whole has witnessed a period of rapid growth, and the current period of development is not over yet," he said.
"This round of rapid growth will continue to be led by heavy industrialization, information technology and globalization. They will speed up urbanization and infrastructure reconstruction, while spurring strong domestic demand."
China's exports will remain strong, thanks to positive growth prospects in emerging economies in Asia, Zhang added.