6.8% GDP growth in H1 beats expectations

China's GDP growth reached 6.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, beating general market expectations, according to a government report released on Monday. Analysts said the economy remains on track but will face more challenges in the second half.

GDP growth in the second quarter was 6.7 percent, down from 6.8 percent in the first quarter, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Retail sales increased by 9.4 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year, 0.4 percentage point lower than in the first quarter, the data showed.