Official data indicate that China’s gross domestic product expanded by 6.6 percent last year, a faster rate of growth than the 6.5 percent the government aimed for, Xinhua reports.
In 2017 the economy grew by 6.8 percent.
The Chinese government-run news agency, citing figures given by the National Bureau of Statistics, says consumption remained the main driver of growth last year, accounting for 76.2 percent of the expansion, and that retail sales increased by 9 percent.
The report quotes National Bureau of Statistics chief Ning Jizhe as telling a press conference that growth last year was generally steady.
The economic environment abroad may be more complex this year, but China has the foundations, conditions, confidence and capability to maintain economic growth at a rate that will ensure it sustains its development, Xinhua quotes Mr Ning as saying.
