China should tap into the potential of its population, the world's largest, to jolt the country's weakening economic growth, an expert said on Wednesday.

At a seminar held by the National School of Development (NSD) of Peking University, Lin Yifu, former chief economist of the World Bank, said China's enormous population remains a comparative advantage in refueling the economy.

China should strive to improve employment and strike a balance in wealth distribution in order to make better use of the population bonus, Lin said.

Lin, who is also honorary dean of the NSD, noted that taking advantage of low labor costs and maintaining government support in labor-intensive sectors is significant not only for economic growth, but also for allowing more working class people to enjoy the fruits brought by the expanding economy.

Lin's words came amid the recent determination of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to increase individual income and reform the distribution system, emphasizing fairness in secondary distribution.

According to Lin, the inequity seen in distribution has created a "hotbed" for corruption.

With 1.3 billion people, China has the world's largest population, followed by India and the United States. Endi