China economy grows 2.3% in 2020 as rebound from Covid steps up 18 Jan, 2021 02:21 AM 2 minutes to read China's Covid recovery accelerated as others struggled with disease flare-ups. Photo / AP Other China's economy grew 2.3 per cent in 2020 as a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic accelerated while the United States, Europe and Japan struggled with disease flare-ups. Growth in the three months ending December rose to 6.5 per cent over a year earlier, up from the previous quarter's 4.9 per cent, according to official data released today. Activity contracted by 6.8 per cent in the first quarter in 2020 as factories and shops shut down to fight the virus. The following quarter, China became the first major country to grow again with a 3.2 per cent expansion after the Communist Party declared victory over the virus in March and reopened the economy.