BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The year 2009 has witnessed China's economic success against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. With the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, the Chinese economy is under intense scrutiny these days, both from domestic and overseas economists.

Despite the achievements, China still faces daunting challenges in the coming months, and this year's NPC meeting may prove to be more substantive than past ones, said a foreign expert.