Chinese official figures show the country's economy grew 5.3 percent in real terms year on year in the three months to March.

The National Bureau of Statistics released gross domestic product figures for the latest quarter on Tuesday.

The pace of growth accelerated slightly from 5.2 percent marked in the previous three months.

The growth is attributed to a rise in exports in January to February, helping businesses to boost production. Strong travel demand during the Chinese New Year holidays pushed up sales in the restaurant and hotel industries.

But China's economic outlook faces uncertainties due to weak domestic demand and the sluggish real estate sector.

The government says it will issue special treasury bonds this year worth 1 trillion yuan, or about 138 billion dollars, to bolster the economy.

It has also announced measures to stimulate domestic demand, including encouraging people to replace old cars and home appliances with new products.

Beijing has set this year's GDP growth target at around 5 percent, the same level as the previous year.

But it faces the challenge of maintaining momentum for a recovery.