No sign of slowdown

China's economic growth likely picked up in the first quarter, with some forecasts running at more than 11 per cent, suggesting that the raft of cooling measures has so far had at best only a marginal impact, analysts said.

The economy, the world's fourth-largest, expanded by 10.7 per cent last year, the fourth straight year of double-digit growth, after a gain of 10.4 per cent in the three months ended December.

URBAN BOOM: The rising trend in growth figures seems confirmed by China's annoucement yesterday that fixed asset investment in urban areas, a key growth driver, rose to 25.3 per cent in the first quarter. -- AFP