Economy off to good start with growth of 5.4% in Q1

China's economy expanded 5.4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, official data showed on Wednesday, beating market expectations and marking a good start for the year amid uncertainties triggered by the United States' tariff policy.

Although the US' volatile tariffs continue to cloud the global economic outlook, officials and economists said they believe China's long-term growth trajectory will remain intact, as the country has ample room to act on macroeconomic policies and boasts favorable factors such as an ultra-large domestic market, a comprehensive industrial system and strong innovation capabilities.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's value-added industrial output grew 7.7 percent year-on-year in March, accelerating from the 5.9 percent growth recorded in the first two months.