Priorities and forecasts Last year, China's economic operation achieved relatively high growth with GDP reaching 114 trillion yuan ($17.9 trillion), up 8.1 percent year on year. The progress was largely led by internal momentum, rather than supported by economic stimulus, and this exactly marks the difference between China and other major world economies. For example, U.S. growth was driven by massive fiscal stimulus; China did not apply any such expansionary policy, but opted for a relatively tightening one instead.