Year-on-year, the economy advanced an annual 6.9 percent, compared to a 6.8 percent growth in the previous three quarters while markets expected a 6.8 percent expansion. It was the strongest expansion since the September quarter 2015.
For 2017, the Chinese government expects the economy to grow by around 6.5 percent; compared to a 6.7 percent expansion in 2016, which was the slowest growth in 26 years.
