China's GDP expands 6.9 percent in first half of 2017

China's gross domestic product expanded 6.9 percent year on year in the first half of the year to about 38.15 trillion yuan (5.62 trillion U.S. dollars), data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Monday.

The growth rate is well above the government's target for the year of 6.5 percent, reflecting a firming trend in the nation's economy.

In the second quarter, China's GDP held steady, posting a rise of 6.9 percent year on year, flat from the first quarter.

The service sector expanded 7.7 percent year on year in the first half, outpacing a 3.5-percent increase in primary industry and 6.4 percent in secondary industry, according to the NBS.

On a quarterly basis, the economy increased 1.7 percent in the second quarter from the previous quarter.

China's economy has been operating within a reasonable range, maintaining stable, coordinated and sustainable development, NBS spokesperson Xing Zhihong told a press conference.

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China's retail sales up 10.4 pct in H1

China's retail sales of consumer goods grew 10.4 percent year on year in the first half of 2017, the National Bureau of Statistics said Monday. 

China's fixed-asset investment up 8.6 pct in H1

China's fixed-asset investment grew 8.6 percent year on year in the first six months of this year, down 0.6 percentage points from that recorded during the first quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

China's property development investment continues slower growth

Growth of China's property development investment continued to decelerate in the first half of the year as the market showed signs of cooling down, official data showed Monday.

Investment in property development expanded 8.5 percent year on year for January-June, down from 8.8 percent during the first five months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

China industrial output expands 6.9 pct in H1

China's value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, expanded 6.9 percent year on year in the first half of this year, compared with the 6.8-percent increase for the first quarter, official data showed Monday.

China's employment improves as economy steadies

China has seen continuous employment growth in the first half of 2017, helped by an expanding service sector and the upgrade of the manufacturing sector, official data showed Monday.

Some 7.35 million new jobs were created in China's urban regions from January to June, up 180,000 from the same period last year, said Xing Zhihong, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, at a press conference.