摘要
China's economic growth slowed to 7 rpercent in the first quarter of 2015, down from 7.3 percent in the fourth quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on April 15. The latest figure was better than the forecasts by multiple institutions that first-quarter growth would fall slightly below 7 percent due to weak investment and demand. It also has met an annual growth target of around 7 percent set by the Chinese central government for 2015. "The Chinese economy is generally holding steady in the first quarter because employment, consumer prices and market expectations are basically stable, despite a slowdown in economic growth," NBS spokesperson Sheng Laiyun said at a press conference heldin Beijing.