[BEIJING] China's economy grew 6.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2019 from a year earlier, official data showed on Friday, in line with expectations and unchanged from the previous quarter's pace.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected gross domestic product (GDP) to expand 6.0 per cent in the October-December quarter, hovering at the weakest pace in nearly three decades.

Facing sluggish demand at home and abroad and US trade pressure, Chinese policymakers have been rolling out a stream of growth boosting measures over the past two years, while trying to contain financial and debt risks.

The world's second-largest economy grew 6.1 per cent in 2019, the slowest in 29 years but still within the government's target of 6-6.5 per cent. Analysts had expected it to expand 6.1 per cent, down from 6.6 per cent in 2018.

GDP grew 1.5 per cent in the fourth quarter from the previous three months as expected, the same pace as in the July-September quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

REUTERS