China's GDP growth posted 6.9 per cent in the third quarter of this year, the weakest in six years. This is the first time the quarterly growth rate had dropped under the government's target of seven per cent this year since the 2009 global financial crisis. The spokesperson of China's National Bureau of Statistics, Sheng Laiyun said global factors had impacted China's growth. Sheng told a media briefing today that expectation of a US interest rate hike prompted volatility in commodity prices, stocks and foreign currency markets. Sheng added that many countries devaluated their currencies, putting more pressure on Chinese exports.