HONG KONG (Nikkei Markets) -- Strong fund inflows and a rally by Chinese banks powered Hong Kong's stock index to a fresh record high on Thursday after data showed Asia's largest economy expanded at a faster pace than expected.
Government data released on Thursday showed China's economy grew 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2017 from a year earlier, beating estimates compiled by Reuters and Bloomberg. Full-year growth of 6.9% was ahead of the 6.7% growth in 2016. Official figures also showed the nation's December industrial output grew 6.2% from a year ago, while monthly retail sales expanded 9.4%.
