China’s Q4 GDP grows 5.2% y/y, below market forecast

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's economy grew 5.2% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, official data showed on Wednesday, missing analysts' expectations slightly but still ensuring Beijing met its annual growth target despite a shaky start to the year. For the full-year 2023, the economy grew 5.2%, data from the National Bureau of Statistics data showed, partly helped by the previous year's low-base effect which was marked by COVID-19 lockdowns. Beijing set a growth target of around 5% for 2023 and policy insiders expect it to maintain a similar goal for this year.