China economy grows faster than expected, but falls short of targets as risks loom

GDP rose 3.9% in the July to September quarter, but China remains on track to deliver among weakest growth in almost four decades

China's economy expanded faster than economists expected in the September quarter but the poor performance of the nation's property market and weak retail and import data underscored the nation's ongoing growth challenges.

China, the world's second-largest economy, posted a 3.9% increase in gross domestic product in the July-September period from a year earlier, the national bureau of statistics said.