China said on Tuesday its economy expanded an annual 9.2 percent last year, slowing from 2010, as efforts to tame high inflation and global turbulence put the brakes on growth.

Gross domestic product rose 8.9 percent in the fourth quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slower than in the third quarter, but still exceeding analyst expectations.

The annual figure was down from 10.4 percent in 2010, but analysts said the economy appeared to be holding up well.