Beijing GDP rises 7.7% in first half

Beijing's GDP rose 7.7 percent year on year in the first half of 2013, up 0.5 percent over the same period last year, according to official data issued on Thursday. The city's GDP expanded to 911.28 billion yuan (148 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months, according to data issued by Beijing's statistics bureau and the National Statistics Bureau's Beijing division. "The job market remains stable and residents saw their salaries rise more quickly," said Yu Xiuqin, vice director of Beijing's statistics bureau. Information technology, a key driver of Beijing's economy, grew faster than expected, Yu said. Service-related industries also continued to strengthen during the period, according to the data.