The World Bank raised its forecast for China’s 2009 gross domestic product growth to 7.2 per cent on Thursday, saying the apparent success of the government’s stimulus package had improved the outlook from March – when the bank predicted 6.5 per cent growth for the year.

But the World Bank said a sustainable recovery was not yet assured, in spite of the government’s Rmb4,000bn ($590bn) fiscal stimulus, and that Beijing might have little room for additional measures this year.