China's fixed-asset investment up 6.8 pct in Jan.-April

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China's fixed-asset investment saw steady growth in the first four months of this year, official data showed Monday.

Fixed-asset investment jumped 6.8 percent from a year earlier to 15.35 trillion yuan (about 2.26 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first four months, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

The growth slowed from a 9.3-percent increase registered in the first quarter. In April, fixed-asset investment edged down 0.82 percent from a month earlier.

From January to April, fixed-asset investment from the private sector increased 5.3 percent from a year earlier to 8.69 trillion yuan.

Despite the resurgence of COVID-19 infections, China's investment in infrastructure construction rose 6.5 percent year on year in the first four months of this year.

Investment into the high-tech manufacturing and high-tech services sectors saw notable growth, jumping 25.9 percent and 13.2 percent year on year in the period.

The healthcare and education sectors also saw investment rise 24.9 percent and 12.5 percent during the period.

Investment has traditionally been a key engine for growth. In the face of COVID-19 flare-ups and increasing downward pressure on the economy, China has underlined the role of effective investment to bolster growth.