China’s economy slowed to the weakest pace of expansion since 2009 last quarter as policymakers implement a reform program while cushioning growth with targeted stimulus. Gross domestic product rose 7 percent in the three months through March from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said in Beijing Wednesday, matching the median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. That rate matches the leadership’s target for its full year expansion pace. Juggling the need to sustain employment and wages while reining in debt risks, corruption and pollution, China’s leaders have signaled tolerance for a slower ... (full story)