Growth in China’s gross domestic product (GDP) hit 5.4% in the first quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. That was considerably higher than the expectations of more than 50 economists surveyed by Reuters, who had predicted expansion of 5.1%, and continues a recent run of surprisingly strong export-driven growth seen at the end of 2024.
“The national economy had a steady and good start, continuing the upward trend,” Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the NBS, told a news conference. “However, we must also see that the current external environment is becoming more complex and severe, and the effective domestic demand growth momentum is insufficient.”
