UPDATE 1-China still likely to attract hot money-officials

(Adds comments by ex deputy central bank governor)

By Eadie Chen

BEIJING, March 9 (Reuters) - China's stock market may have come off the boil but hot money is still likely to be attracted by the country's robust growth, appreciating currency and comparatively high interest rates, senior officials said on Sunday.

Last year, China abandoned its strategy of keeping yuan interest rates below dollar rates in an attempt to cool down stock and property markets that were sucking in money.

But the weak outlook for other markets because of the U.S. subprime crisis, combined with aggressive U.S. rate cuts, have made Chinese markets attractive again.

"I see no less of an incentive for speculators to put their money in China even though the stock market is cooling. Our huge growth potential is also a key attraction," said Wu Xiaoling, deputy head of parliament's finance and economic commission.

"We realised that when the yuan is rising, the U.S. economy is softening and many countries are grappling with the fallout from the subprime loan crisis, more money will flood into China for higher returns," she told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China's parliament.

Wu, who retired as central bank vice governor two months ago, said a lot of speculative capital can flow into China through various channels under the current account, which is fully open.

For example, foreign investors sometimes inflate the value of a project so as to bring more money into the country, she added.