China confident can weather crisis

BEIJING, Oct 15  - China is confident it can weather the current global economic crisis, Vice Premier Wang Qishan was quoted by state media as saying.

"With tools at our disposal, we are confident and capable of prevailing over the overall difficulties and challenges," Wang told visiting U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel, the official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday. Wang's comments echoed those of other senior Chinese leaders made over the past few days.

Wang added that China was willing to work with other countries to ensure financial stability.

"As a responsible country, China has always valued the communication and cooperation with other nations to ensure world financial and economic stability," he said.

"Wang said China would make great efforts to keep its economy on the right track, which would be the country's greatest contribution to the world," Xinhua paraphrased him as saying.

"China had implemented and would continue measures to ensure the stability of finance, economy and the capital market, he said," the report added. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard)