Market Views: China GDP expands 8.1%, but downward trend expected

China's official 8.1% GDP growth rate last year was higher than expected — but it’s not without its challenges. Investors are being conservative in sectors like property, and expect more opportunities from cyclical, consumer and technology sectors, as well as niche assets such as solar stocks and electric vehicle (EV) battery stocks. “Although the latest GDP number beats expectation, the trend of slowdown continued in China’s economy with YoY real GDP growth of 4% reported for 4Q …