China's economy slowed again in the three months to September to a rate of 7.4% - that is lower than the government's target and lower than investors expected.

China has been used to an average of ten per cent over the past 30 years.

Dr Linda Yueh, professor of economics at Oxford University and economics editor at Bloomberg TV, explained to Today programme presenter Sarah Montague that "it's not a significant problem, so long as the signs of this slowdown begin to ease, and you do see some of that in the data which is released."

She emphasised that the Chinese authorities would not be alarmed: "If you took the whole year so far, they're really not too far off of that target" of 7.5 per cent.

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.