China’s economy in 2023 expanded a real 5.2 percent from a year earlier, with the growth rate meeting the country’s annual target of around 5.0 percent due partly to the previous year’s low base caused by the stringent “zero-COVID” policy involving lockdowns. The gross domestic product growth accelerated from 3.0 percent in the previous year, with the October-December period seeing an expansion of 5.2 percent on year despite a property sector crisis.