China's economy is likely to expand more than 9 percent this year, thanks to pro-growth policies and an improving global environment, a government researcher said in remarks published on Monday.

Lu Zhongyuan, deputy director of the Development Research Centre, a think-tank under the State Council, China's cabinet, said gross domestic product growth could top 10 percent if the global economy enjoyed a much stronger recovery.

China's GDP last year grew 8.7 percent. The median forecast of economists in the most recent Reuters poll was for growth in 2010 of 9.5 percent.

Writing in the People's Daily newspaper, Li restated the need for Beijing to adjust policy in light of changing circumstances.

He said exports would rise about 10 percent this year and echoed Commerce Minister Chen Deming's view that China could not bear a slower rate of export growth after a 16 percent fall in 2009.