China's economy had a surprisingly good start to the year, but it may not last

China's economy started the year on a bright note, with several major indicators beating forecasts. But as Covid cases in the country spike, keeping up the same pace of growth in the coming months may prove difficult. Retail sales rose 6.7% in the first two months of 2022 compared to a year ago, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday. That was well above the estimated 3% increase in a Reuters poll of economists. Industrial production jumped 7.5% during the same period, surpassing the forecast of 3.9%. And investment in fixed assets, such as infrastructure and machinery, jumped 12.2% from a year earlier.

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