China's economy expands 6.9 pct in 2017

A staff worker works at the assembly line at the factory of Anqing branch of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd. in Anqing City, east China's Anhui Province, Oct. 30, 2017. (Xinhua file photo/Jiang Sheng)

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- China's economy grew 6.9 percent year on year in 2017, well above the official target of around 6.5 percent, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Thursday.