China's industrial output grew more than 6 percent in January and February, a vice chairman of the state economic planner said on Sunday, adding that the survey-based unemployment rate in 31 major cities was about 5 percent for the two-month period.
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Vice Chairman Ning Jizhe gave the approximations, which were in line with expectations for official data set to be issued on Tuesday, on the sidelines of China's annual parliament session.
Fixed asset investment growth kept pace with the final few months of last year, Ning said.
"China's economic growth still mainly relies in domestic demand," he said.
January and February data will be released together in a bid to smooth out seasonal factors caused by the timing of the long Lunar New Year holidays, which began in late January this year but fell in February last year.
China unexpectedly posted its first trade gap in three years in February as a construction boom pushed imports much higher than expected. That upbeat import reading reinforced the growing view that economic activity in China picked up in the first two months of the year.
With the economy on much steadier footing than a year ago, the government has trimmed its economic growth target to about 6.5 percent this year, Premier Li Keqiang said in his work report at the opening of parliament last week.
The economy grew 6.7 percent last year, the slowest pace in 26 years.
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