China to slightly loosen monetary policy: forecast

China will continue with a prudentmonetary policy with slight loosening expected this year, the ChinaBanking Association (CBA) said in a report on Monday.

A significant loosening in monetary policy is unlikely thisyear, but authorities will be inclined to target economic controland structural support, the CBA forecasted in its report on thedomestic banking sector.

In April and June, the central bank twice announced targetedcuts in the reserve requirement ratio for qualified banks engagedin proportionate lending to agriculture-related businesses andsmall companies, in efforts to structurally assist these marketentities in the real economy.

Monday's report also predicted that banks' profit growth willdecelerate to an annual growth of 9 percent this year, amid aneconomic slowdown, the process of interest liberalization anddeepening financial disintermediation. Net profits grew 14.5percent year on year in 2013.

Meanwhile, the CBA said that the non-performing loan ratio isexpected to reach around 1.1 percent this year.