Under the program, begun a year and a half ago, any fundamental economic changes will proceed more slowly than Western economists had hoped for.

But Chinese government leaders and economists hope the normalization of trade with America will help close inefficient state enterprises.

Many economists had hoped a rebound would begin later this year, but that now seems unlikely.

The report gave some economists hope that a rebound in housing will help prevent a recession this year.

With the slowdown, economists hope some of these problems will ease.

Still, the economists are hoping that the word processor proves mightier than the Washington lobbyist.

Some economists and executives had hoped for an extra measure of monetary stimulus.

But the plans lacked the stimulant measures that many economists had hoped for.

After a long period of economic decline and stagnation, Russian economists have hoped that the economy would begin to grow in 1998.

In doing so, Islamic economists hope to produce a more "Islamic society".