China achieved unexpectedly strong growth of 4.8 percent in the first quarter.
The data from the statistics office in Beijing on Monday are above the forecasts of the experts, who had only expected a little more than four percent for the second largest economy.
China's government had forecast growth of 5.5 percent for the year as a whole.
However, the planning had not taken into account the extent of the latest corona wave in China and the subsequent lockdowns and the effects of the Ukraine war.
Experts expressed doubts as to whether the goal can be achieved.
The increase in the first three months of the year was also stronger than in the weak fourth quarter of the previous year, when only 4.0 percent had been achieved.
Due to the decline in economic activity due to the lockdowns, the economy is also likely to have weakened in March, which could continue in the second quarter.
Corona lockdowns are weighing on the economy
China is currently experiencing the largest corona wave since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
Since the most populous country is pursuing a zero-Covid policy, there are extensive curfews in Shanghai and other major cities.
Tens of millions of people cannot leave their homes.
Many companies have to shut down operations.
Freight traffic is also restricted.
The second largest economy had recorded strong growth of 8.1 percent in the previous year, even if the momentum had eased significantly in the fourth quarter.
However, the strong growth in 2021 can also be explained by the low basis for comparison in 2020, when the pandemic had severely slowed down the economy in China.