China's economy appears poised to deliver growth that should equal the 2016 pace, but potential trade friction with the US could pose a challenge for policymakers, analysts said at a discussion on the mainland's 2017 prospects.

The Forecast for China's Economy for 2017 was hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations and Peking University's China Center for Economic Research on Thursday at the New York Stock Exchange. Economists, market participants and experts on Sino-US engagement from both countries attended.

Last year there was pessimism on China's economic outlook, but the country produced a steady performance with gross domestic product growth likely to come in at around 6.5 to 6.7 percent, said Stephen Orlins, president of the national committee who moderated the forum.