China secures solid Q1 growth

China's economy grew 5 percent in the first quarter of 2026, outpacing expectations of some foreign institutions and reinforcing the country's role as a stabilizing force in an increasingly volatile global economy.

The world's second-largest economy generated 33.4 trillion yuan (about 4.87 trillion U.S. dollars) in output during the period, accelerating by 0.5 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2025, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Thursday. The result marks a strong opening to China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

In the first quarter, "the growth of production and supply accelerated, market demand continued to improve, employment was generally stable, market prices picked up moderately, and high-quality development advanced with new and positive momentum," the NBS said in a statement.

"The national economy got off to a good start with the development showing greater resilience and vitality."

China's GDP grew 5 percent year on year last year. The country has targeted 2026 growth at 4.5 to 5 percent and will strive for better in practice.

Xinhua