China's economy grew 9.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of the year, official figures show.

Zheng Jingping, spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics, told a press conference in Beijing Thursday that the first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) reached 2.71 trillion yuan (US$326.6 billion).

The added value of the primary industry grew 4.5 percent to 202.9 billion yuan (US$24.4 billion). That of the manufacturing industry surged 11.6 percent to 1.56 trillion yuan (US$188 billion). The value added of the tertiary industry rose 7.7 percent to 944.3 billion yuan (US$113.8 billion).

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2004)