China’s economic growth has been slowing for six years – far longer than expected. Eager to stem the slide, Chinese government officials and economists have desperately sought a clear explanation pointing toward an effective policy response.

Despite slower growth and two parallel spirals weighing down the Chinese economy, its economic fundamentals are not that bad thanks to its high saving rate and relatively strong fiscal position. If the government can implement an appropriate policy mix and successfully promote creation and innovation, the economy can rebound and return to a slower but still inspiring growth path.

There is no need to worry about the slide in China’s GDP growth and its turbulent financial markets, because the market economy has taken root across the country — a market of 1.4 billion consumers. Pressures from regional setbacks can be absorbed by the greater national economy, as long as the government pursues its transition from a real estate-driven economy.

When it comes to economic rebalancing, China will need to be patient, recognizing that the current generation is simply too fixated on saving to provide the kind of surge in consumption that is needed. There are steps policymakers can take to accelerate progress, but, until the next generation grows up, real progress will have to wait.

China's economic growth eased to 6.9 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, beating expectations but still the slowest since the global financial crisis, putting pressure on policymakers to roll out more support measures as fears of a sharper slowdown spook investors.

China certainly experienced a turbulent summer, owing to three factors: economic weakness, financial panic, and the policy response to these problems. But none on its own would have threatened the world economy. The assumption that China is now the global economy’s weakest link is highly suspect.

China’s stock-market correction was predictable after its wild rise, but it does not signal a sustained economic slump. However, “China shock” did influence the U.S. and European stock markets, despite the effect being psychological and temporary. During the first half of September, U.S. and European markets have been rising steadily, despite the lingering struggles for Chinese stocks. With an expected mild rebound by the end of the year and beyond, it is likely that China’s imports will gradually pick up, thus contributing more to the world commodities demand recovery.

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.