Financials markets were offered a glimmer of relief as the latest growth figures from China contained no nasty surprises and the International Monetary Fund predicted higher global growth this year.

周二，中国公布的最新经济增长数据并未出现糟糕的意外，而国际货币基金组织(IMF)也预测今年全球经济增长率将提高，这些都为金融市场带来了利好消息。

Stock markets around the world posted modest gains. Brent crude briefly nudged above $30 a barrel in volatile European trading while copper — highly sensitive to China’s economic health — was up more than 1 per cent in London.

世界各地股市出现小幅上扬。在欧洲波动的交易中，布伦特(Brent)原油价格一度冲破30美元/桶，而对中国经济健康状况高度敏感的伦敦铜价涨幅超1%。

The IMF said the dismal start to the year on equity markets was an overreaction, warning of “broader contagion effects” if it continued. The fund trimmed its forecasts slightly but said global economic activity remained on an upward trend. It said global growth was likely to pick up from 3.1 per cent in 2015 to 3.4 per cent this year and 3.6 per cent in 2017.

IMF表示，今年股市的惨淡开局是一种过度反应，并警告，如果这种反应持续的话会产生“更广泛的传染效应”。IMF略微下调了对经济增速的预测，但表示全球经济活动仍呈现上升趋势。该机构表示，全球经济增速很可能会从2015年的3.1%升至今年的3.4%，并在2017年达到3.6%。

China announced growth in the fourth quarter at its lowest level since 1990, with steel production and power generation both contracting for the first time in 25 years. But the 6.8 per cent rise in gross domestic product put the annual figure at 6.9 per cent, in line with the target of “around 7 per cent” and economists’ expectations.

中国公布了去年的经济增速，为1990年以来的最低水平，钢产量与发电量双双出现25年来首次萎缩。但第四季度国内生产总值(GDP) 6.8%的增幅使得全年增幅达到6.9%，符合中国政府“7%左右”的增长目标，也与经济学家的预期相符。