China's economic growth holds steady at 6.8 per cent

China's economic growth held steady at 6.8 per cent over a year earlier in the quarter ending in March, buoyed by retail sales and investment.

Data released today showed growth in the world's second-largest economy was down slightly from 2017's full-year expansion of 6.9 per cent but in line with the quarter ending in December.

Forecasters are expecting growth to cool this year as Beijing tries to rein in rising debt by tightening controls to cool a boom in real estate sales and bank lending.