China's economy grows 4.5 percent, beating expectations
China’s economy grew by 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, signalling that the world’s second-largest economy is firmly on the path to recovery after the end of Beijing’s strict 'zero-COVID' policies.
The growth figure falls slightly short of Beijing’s 5 percent growth target for 2023, set at the National People’s Congress meeting in March, but is still ahead of market expectations.