China's economy has entered a period of new normal, which brings an opportunity for the development of a green and low-carbon economy and environmental protection, industry experts said during an annual event in Beijing last Friday.

行业专家30日在北京的一次年会上称，中国经济已进入新常态，为绿色低碳经济的发展和环境保护带来机遇。

China's 2014 economic growth edged down to a 24-year low of 7.4% from 7.7% in 2013, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released on Jan 20. The uninspiring picture has been expected by economists¹, who believe that it may not trigger aggressive policy stimulates² as the top leadership has tolerated a "new normal" development rate.

国家统计局1月20日发布数据显示，2014年中国经济增长7.4%，比2013年的7.7%进一步下降，创下24年来的新低。经济学家们对此次经济放缓并不惊讶，他们认为，7.4%这一数字符合领导高层对"新常态"下经济发展增速的容忍度，不会引发激进经济刺激政策的出炉。

经济增长7.4%，是指GDP增长7.4%。GDP是词组gross domestic product的缩写，中文意为"国内生产总值"。再给大家补充一点经济常识，GDP的定义为：the gross national product excluding the value of net income earned abroad(除去在国外所赚净收益价值的国民生产总值)。这个概念区别于GNP，gross national product(国内生产总值)，the total value of the goods and services produced by the residents of a nation during a specified³ period(一定时期内一个国家居民生产的商品和服务的价值总和)。

今年5月习近平总书记在河南考察时首次提及"新常态"。中国经济的新常态有几个主要特点：速度——"从高速增长转为中高速增长"(the economy has shifted gear from the previous high speed to a medium-to-high speed growth)，结构——"经济结构不断优化升级"(the economic structure is constantly improved and upgraded)，动力——"从要素驱动、投资驱动转向创新驱动"(the economy is increasingly driven by innovation instead of input⁴ and investment)。