(FILE)

China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.7 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2016 to reach 15.9 trillion yuan ($2.4 trillion), said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The growth further slowed from the previous quarter's 6.8 percent, which was already the lowest quarterly rate since the global financial crisis.

The NBS also revealed data on the country's major economic indicators including retail sales and investment in property.

China's retail sales of consumer goods increased 10.3 percent. The first quarter reading was 0.4 percentage points lower than that recorded last year. In March, retail sales were up 10.5 percent year on year, faster than the growth rate in the first two months this year.

The investment in property sector rose 6.2 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2016. The expansion continued to pick up following the 3-percent increase for the January-February period and the 1-percent growth for entire 2015.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2016)