BEIJING, Jan 19 (Reuters) – China's economy grew 4.5% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday, a touch above analysts' expectations and bang in line with the government's annual growth target. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) would expand 4.4% from a year earlier, slowing from the third-quarter's 4.8% pace as consumption and investment dragged. Last quarter's growth was the slowest in three years. For the whole of 2025, the world's second-largest economy expanded 5.0%, meeting the government's annual growth target of around 5%. Analysts had forecast 4.9% growth. On a quarterly basis, GDP grew 1.2% in October-December, compared with a forecast 1.0% increase and 1.1% gain in the previous quarter. China's trade surplus reached a record high in 2025 as exporters successfully diversified their markets to fend off pressure from U.S. tariffs, but demand at home further weakened since late last year as confidence has remained low amid a prolonged property crisis. (Reporting by Kevin Yao and Ellen ZhangEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
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