WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday that China's economic growth was expected to remain robust at 9.5 percent this year after growing 10.3 percent in 2010.

Investment growth had decelerated with the unwinding of the fiscal stimulus, but it still remained the principal contributor to growth, said the IMF in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report.

Although inflationary pressure remained, property price inflation and credit growth had softened from recent record levels due to efforts to withdraw credit stimulus, said the report.

The Fund also predicted China's output would grow 9.0 percent in 2012.