Shares in Asia were mostly lower on Friday following China's report of a 5% annual economic growth rate for the previous year, meeting the government's target but showing a slowdown from the year before. Despite this, U.S. futures saw a slight increase, and oil prices also rose.
China's strong exports and efforts to boost consumer spending and investment led to a nearly 6% surge in manufacturing. The Chinese government's announcement of 5% annual growth was in line with its target for 2024, with the economy expanding by 5.4% in the last quarter of the year.
