China's economic growth accelerated to 5 percent in the first quarter of 2026 despite mounting external uncertainties, underscoring that the resilience of the world's second-largest economy is underpinned by its vast domestic market, officials and experts said on Thursday. Domestic demand contributed more than four-fifths of GDP growth, they said, with investment returning to positive growth and inflation picking up — a trend expected to anchor steady economic expansion in the coming months. However, analysts cautioned that the recovery in domestic demand may not yet be on firm footing, given the slowdown in household income growth and continued pressures from elevated international energy costs, highlighting the need for ramping up targeted policy support. China's GDP came in at 33.42 trillion yuan ($4.9 trillion) in the first quarter, growing 5 percent year-on-year in real terms and 0.5 percentage point faster than the fourth quarter of 2025, the National Bureau of Statisti...