Yuan banknotes are being counted in Beijing. China will keep its currency, the yuan, at a stable and reasonable level, the central bank said after its last key policy-making meeting before 2007. [AFP]

China's central bank said on Monday that it would continue to take steps to keep investment and credit growth in check and maintain a stable monetary policy.

Related readings: China's economic problems easing: PBOC deputy head Sound monetary policy remains key Markets jittery as Bank of England set to hold rates Macroeconomic control takes effect Central bank enhances monetary policy China's monetary policies still facing challenges Money supply is soaring Looser monetary policy to stop falling prices - economists Current money supply moderate

In a brief statement on its Web site (www.pbc.gov.cn) summing up the proceedings of a meeting of its monetary policy committee, the People's Bank of China said that while the economy was generally functioning well, it still encountered some challenges.

"The economic situation is good overall, but it still faces problems such as an structural imbalances, an overly resource-intensive growth model and imbalanced international payments," the central bank said.

It said that it would continue to implement a stable monetary policy. It did not elaborate.

The central bank has raised interest rates twice this year and banks' reserve requirement ratios three times, as part of a broader campaign to rein in a credit-fuelled investment boom. That campaign has also involved administrative measures such as stricter approval procedures for new investment projects.

In response, annual growth in fixed-asset investment slowed to 26.6 percent in the first 11 months from a peak of 31.3 percent in the first half.

The central bank also reiterated its long-standing vow to allow market forces to play a greater role in determining the value of the yuan, while keeping the currency "basically stable at a reasonable, balanced level."

Since it revalued the yuan by 2.1 percent and decoupled it from a dollar peg in July 2005, Beijing has frequently said that it was committed to letting the yuan become more flexible over time.

The yuan has now appreciated a further 3.7 percent since the revaluation, with the pace having picked up in recent months, but many U.S. critics say it remains seriously undervalued, giving Chinese exports an unfair advantage in global markets.

The central bank also said that it would actively promote domestic consumption, while working to keep prices stable. It did not mention any details of such plans.

Many economists and officials have said that the economy relies too much on fickle investment and exports, and not enough on household consumption, exposing it to greater risks of a downturn and contributing to trade friction.