1.Rebound in economic growth
In the first quarter, China's GDP reached 28,499.7 billion yuan (RMB, the same below), up by 4.5% year on year at constant prices and 2.2% over the fourth quarter of last year.As China's economic recovery picks up speed, it will play a more prominent role in driving the world economy and become more attractive to global investors.
2.Consumption picks up pace
According to official data, China's total retail sales of consumer goods in the first quarter rose 5.8% year on year to 11,492.2 billion yuan, after falling 2.7% in the fourth quarter of last year. Among them, food and beverage revenue grew 13.9 percent year on year.
3.Recovery of industrial production
In the first quarter, China's industry achieved steady growth. According to official data, out of 41 industrial categories, 23 industries maintained year-on-year growth, with an increase of more than 50%. Compared with the fourth quarter of last year, the growth rate of added value of 20 industries picked up. New energy vehicles, solar cells and other green products maintained double-digit growth, and the transformation of industrial greening continued.
4.Foreign trade surges year-on-year
In the first quarter, China's total import and export value of goods was 9.89 trillion yuan, up by 4.8% year on year and 2.6 percentage points higher than that in the fourth quarter of last year. At a time when global trade as a whole is in the doldrums, this growth rate is striking.
5.Employment price stability
In the first quarter, the average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.5 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from the fourth quarter of last year. The surveyed urban unemployment rate in March was 5.3 percent, down 0.3 percentage points from February.
6.Market expectations have been boosted
China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index, an important leading indicator of economic conditions in the manufacturing sector, came in at 51.9 percent in March, the third month in a row in the business zone. The non-manufacturing business activity index also rose to 58.2%, the highest level in recent years, with the service business activity index rising to 56.9%.
