In 2019, China’s economy grew at the slowest pace in 30 years.
The National Bureau of Statistics data reveals that for the whole of 2019, China GDP slowed to 6.1% - the weakest annual growth rate since 1990. In 2018, it was 6.6%.
However the 2019 growth rate was expected by analysts polled by Reuters.
Beijing’s official target rate for 2019 was 6% to 6.5%. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said on Wednesday that GDP growth in 2019 was estimated to have grown more than 6% (as reported in Reuters ).
The nation’s fourth quarter GDP grew 6.0% on-year, quite in line with what analysts polled by Reuters had anticipated.
Following the early December announcement of a Phase One trade agreement between the U.S. and China, business confidence might have improved. For instance, fourth quarter factory activity in China rose 6.9% -- a point above analysts' forecasts.
However, there might be some uncertainties over the degree of commitment from either party towards meeting all conditions of the US-China Phase One deal. Also, China still faces tariffs on $250 billion of its exports to the U.S.