China's GDP growth slows
17-04-2009
Annual growth in China's gross domestic product slowed in the first quarter of 2009 to 6.1 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics has announced. It's the weakest growth since quarterly records began in 1992, but some analysts see signs of a recovery.
Growth was 6.8 percent in the last quarter of 2008, but the first quarter GDP figure dropped as exports fell 17 percent in March.
Beijing has said it is determined to achieve annual growth of 8 percent, and to expand its domestic demand.