BEIJING - Economists were generally upbeat about China's economic performance in the third quarter (Q3) of the year, a survey showed on Sunday.

Over a quarter of economists who responded said the country's economic growth rate in Q3 would be higher than that of Q2, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Around 23 percent of the economists said that economic growth would fall quarter on quarter in Q3. However, the previous survey showed that over 50 percent of economists previously predicted growth would slow.

Nearly 60 percent of economists said full-year growth would reach 6.5 percent or even higher in 2016.

China's GDP grew 6.7 percent in the second quarter of the year, the lowest level since the global financial crisis in early 2009, but still within the government's annual target range of 6.5-7 percent for 2016.

The country is scheduled to release its third-quarter GDP growth rate on Oct 19.