Optimism growing in 3rd quarter

With rising unemployment, slumping exports, a slowdown in GDP growth and increasing uncertainty at the start of the year, few experts dared to predict that China would end the year with the bold bounce back that National Statistics Bureau (NBS) data yesterday showed it had.

The new numbers indicate China had year-on-year GDP growth in the third quarter of 8.9 percent - and that it was 7.7 percent overall for the first three quarters of 2009.

The NBS said China saw solid growth momentum during the third quarter - and it may continue for several months.