China's gross domestic product grew 6.8 percent in the October to December period from a year earlier
The reading comes as China kicks its war on pollution into full gear, halving industrial production for some steel smelters and mills this winter.
Policymakers will be under pressure to balance efforts to tackle debt with the need to keep growth on a steady path
The Australian dollar, seen as a proxy for China demand, was little changed
China increased its defence spending by 7.6% allocating about 954 billion yuan