The rate of gross domestic product (GDP) expansion for the January-March period is expected to be the fastest in decades, analysts said, though the figure will be coming off a low comparison base, following a 6.8% contraction in the first three months of 2020.
The growth rate is also expected to be this year’s peak, as China’s economic engine cools and other major economies like the United States roar back to life. Moreover, the unbalanced nature of China’s recovery – which has been dependent on exports and state-led investment – remains at risk, analysts have warned.
Song Xuetao, head of the macro research division at Tianfeng Securities, estimated that first quarter GDP growth would jump to 20.5 per cent from a year ago, following disruptions due to the pandemic early in 2020 and a cold winter.