HONG KONG- - China's economic growth rate exceeded eight percent by the end of September, the chairman of the country's banking regulatory commission was quoted as saying on Friday.

But Liu Mingkang said the global crisis "isn't behind us yet" and it was too soon to start talking about an exit strategy from the government's massive stimulus measures, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

Liu was speaking at a banking conference in Hong Kong. His comments referred to Beijing's four-trillion-yuan (585-billion-dollar) stimulus package unveiled last year and loose monetary policy.

China, the world's number three economy, is due to announce third quarter gross domestic product data on or about October 22.

The Chinese economy expanded 7.1 percent in the first half from a year earlier, after growing 6.1 percent in the first quarter and 7.9 percent in the second.

Beijing sees eight percent growth as essential for job creation and keeping a lid on social unrest.

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