China's Premier Wen Jibao said on Sunday the government may expand its economic stimulus to boost Chinese growth and trigger consumer spending.

In an interview with the Financial Times, published late Sunday, Wen affirmed that Beijing was considering fresh measures in addition to the 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) stimulus package unveiled last year.

We may take further new, timely and decisive measures. All these measures have to be taken pre-emptively before an economic retreat, Wen told FT.

China's economic growth slowed steeply to 6.8 percent in the last quarter of 2008, Wen told a business audience at a dinner Sunday in London, Reuters reports.

He added that the country -- which has third largest economy in the world -- was developing measures including massive infrastructure spending and handouts to consumers, to make sure the economic growth reached of about 8 percent in 2009, FT noted.

Wen also stated that Beijing intended to keep its currency stable at a balanced and reasonable level.

China