China's Q1 GDP growth slows to 7.7 pct

China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth unexpectedly slowed to 7.7 percent in the first quarter of 2013, down from 7.9 percent during the final quarter of 2012, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday.

The rate was weaker than most market expectations, but still stayed above the 7.5-percent full-year target for 2013 set by the government last month.

According to preliminary statistics, the GDP totaled 11.89 trillion yuan (1.9 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first three months.

"The data has continued a stabilizing growth trend that took shape late last year, showing that the new government does not put pursuing growth as its number-one task," said Wang Jun, an economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

China's full-year annual growth in 2012 eased to 7.8 percent, its weakest since 1999.

GDP figures headed a string of other data showing that industrial output grew 9.5 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2013, down from the 11.6-percent pace recorded during the same period of last year.

The growth of fixed-asset investment, a measure of government spending on infrastructure, remained unchanged at 20.9 percent during the period compared to a year earlier.

Retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending, increased 12.4 percent from a year earlier, easing from the 14.8 percent logged in the same period last year.

一季度中国经济同比增长7.7％

新华网北京４月１５日电（记者雷敏、刘铮）国家统计局１５日发布初步核算数据,一季度中国国内生产总值（ＧＤＰ）为１１８８５５亿元,按可比价格计算同比增长７．７％,增速比上季度回落０．２个百分点.

"一季度国民经济运行开局平稳、稳中有进."国家统计局新闻发言人盛来运１５日在国务院新闻办公室举行的新闻发布会上说,一季度经济增速高于年初预期目标,高于去年二、三季度,属于平稳增长.

分产业看,一季度中国第一产业增加值为７４２７亿元,同比增长３．４％；第二产业增加值５４５６９亿元,增长７．８％；第三产业增加值５６８５９亿元,增长８．３％.从环比看,一季度ＧＤＰ增长１．６％.

农业生产形势较好.调查显示,２０１３年全国稻谷意向种植面积增长１．０％.目前全国冬小麦一、二类苗比例占８７．２％.一季度,猪牛羊禽肉产量为２２８７万吨,同比增长２．６％,其中猪肉产量１５５４万吨,增长２．８％.

工业生产增速总体平稳.一季度,全国规模以上工业增加值按可比价格计算同比增长９．５％,增速比上年同期回落２．１个百分点,比上年全年回落０．５个百分点.其中,３月份规模以上工业增加值同比增长８．９％,环比增长０．６６％.

盛来运说,下一阶段要坚持稳中求进,进一步改善宏观调控,进一步改革创新,进一步转变政府职能,促进国民经济持续健康发展、经济加快转型升级和人民生活不断改善.