China's GDP grew by 4.5% in quarter, boosted by consumption
China’s gross domestic product grew 4.5% in the first quarter of the year, boosted by increased consumption and retail sales, after authorities abruptly abandoned the stringent “zero-COVID” strategy BEIJING -- China’s gross domestic product grew 4.5% in the first quarter of the year, boosted by increased consumption and retail sales after authorities abruptly abandoned the stringent “zero-COVID” strategy. The growth in the world’s No. 2 economy from January to March compared to the same period in 2022 was the fastest in the past year, and outpaced the 2.9% growth in the previous quarter, according to government data released Tuesday. The higher-than-expected rise in GDP comes amid a rebound in consumption, as people flocked to shopping malls and restaurants after harsh COVID-19 restrictions were removed. Analysts initially pegged economic growth to be about 4%. In March, total retail sales of consumer goods went up by 10.6% year on year, and grew 7.1 percentage points compared to th...