China's economy expanded more than expected in the first quarter, data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed on Monday.
Gross domestic product grew at a pace of 4.8 percent on a yearly basis in the first quarter. This was faster than the economists' forecast of 4.4 percent and the 4.0 percent expansion registered in the previous quarter.
In March, industrial production advanced 5.0 percent, which was faster than the expected rate of 4.5 percent.
Meanwhile, retail sales were down 3.5 percent from the last year, bigger than the 1.6 percent fall forecast by economists.
In the first quarter, fixed asset investment grew 9.3 percent from the last year, following a 12.2 percent rise posted in the first two months.
Economic growth looks set to be even weaker in the second quarter given the mounting disruption from the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Julian Evans-Pritchard, an economist at Capital Economics, said.
