China adjusts method of calculating GDP

China has changed its method of calculating the country's GDP, a move that is in line with international standards and is not an attempt to jazz up growth figures, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

Research and development expenditure, which can bring continuous economic benefits to enterprises and was formerly excluded from GDP calculation, will now be taken into account.

The change comes as China adopts the general methodology used by major developed countries for compiling measures of economic activity, the NBS said on its website.