China's economy grew 4.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2020

China's economic growth accelerated to 4.9 per cent over a year earlier in the latest quarter as a shaky recovery from the coronavirus pandemic gathered strength.

Figures announced today for the three months ending in September were in line with expectations after the ruling Communist Party declared the outbreak under control in March and began reopening factories, shops and offices.

Factory output rose, boosted by foreign demand for Chinese-made masks and other medical supplies. Retail sales, which had lagged behind the manufacturing rebound, finally returned to pre-virus levels.

The economy "continued the steady recovery," the National Bureau of Statistics said in a report. However, it warned, "the international environment is still complicated and severe." It said China still faces "great pressure" to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

China, where the pandemic began in December, became the first major economy to return to growth with a 3.2 per cent expansion in the quarter ending in June. Output contracted 6.8 per cent in the first quarter after Beijing shut down the world's second-largest economy.

Authorities have lifted curbs on travel and business but visitors to government and other public buildings still are checked for the virus's telltale fever. Travellers arriving from abroad must be quarantined for two weeks.

Last week, more than 10 million people were tested for the virus in the eastern port of Qingdao after 12 cases were found there. That broke a streak of almost two months with no virus transmissions reported within China.