China fourth-quarter GDP grows 6.8% year-on-year, beats expectations

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected gross domestic product to expand 6.7 percent in the October-December quarter, slowing from 6.8 per cent growth in the previous quarter.

Chinese policymakers have been trying to contain financial risks and slow an explosive build-up in debt without stunting economic growth.

source: tradingeconomics.com

The world’s second-largest economy grew an annual 6.9 per cent in 2017, beating the government’s target of around 6.5 percent and quickening from 2016 growth of 6.7 per cent, which was the weakest pace in 26 years.

GDP in the fourth quarter grew 1.6 percent quarter-on-quarter, compared with revised growth of 1.8 percent in July-September, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

Analysts had expected fourth-quarter GDP would grow 1.6 per cent on a quarterly basis.