China's economy is expected to grow 9.6 percent in 2011, even as inflation remains a threat for Asia's growth engine as well as other economies in the region, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in its 2011 Asian Development Outlook report released on April 6.

With inflation pressures building and tightened monetary policy, China's GDP growth is forecasted to be moderate this year, compared with a growth of 10.3 percent in 2010, said the ADB, which expected a growth of 9.2 percent in China in 2012.

The inflation rate, which averaged 3.3 percent in 2010, may pick up to 4.6 percent in 2011, lifted by abundant liquidity and higher food and commodities prices. ADB estimated the inflation will ease back to 4.2 percent in 2012.