China says its economy expanded by 8.7% in 2009, exceeding even the government's own initial expectations.

中国2009经济增长达到8.7%，这个数字甚至超过了政府的最初预期值。

The figures have exceeded government-set targets

The pace of change increased as the year went on, with growth in the final quarter of 2009 increasing by 10.7% from 2008.

It is a major turnaround转向，转变 for an economy that was hit by the global downturn just a year ago.

China is now on course to overtake Japan and become the world's second-biggest economy.

Japan announces its latest GDP figures next month. Its economy is likely to have contracted收缩 by around 6% in 2009.

'Right direction'

China's GDP announcement was made by Ma Jiantang, head of the National Bureau of Statistics.

He said China had faced "severe difficulties" in 2009, but its economy has now recovered and is moving in the right direction.

Annual growth was only slightly down on 2008.

But Mr Ma played down speculation推测，思索 that China's economy had now overtaken Japan's.

"According to the UN standard - that is $1 a day - there are still 150 million poor people in China. That is China's reality," he said.

"So despite the increase in our GDP and economic strength, we still have to recognise that China is still a developing country."

These latest GDP figures have exceeded超出 the target set by the Chinese government, the BBC's Chris Hogg in Shanghai says.

This is a turnaround because China, like other countries across the world, was hit by the economic crisis during late 2008 and early 2009. Factories closed and workers were laid off.

China's economy recovered with the help of a massive government stimulus² package and now there are signs it is expanding too quickly.

Inflation is picking up, with Mr Ma saying consumer prices increased by 1.9% in December from a year earlier.

"It reminds us to be fully³ aware of following the trend of price changes," he said at a press conference新闻发布会 to announce the economic data.

Mr Ma said price rises were "mild and under control", but over recent days the government has tried to limit the amount of loans made by the country's banks.