China's economy revved into high gear during the first quarter of 2010, growing 11.9% compared with a year ago, a spokesman for the National Statistics Bureau said Thursday.

The nation's gross domestic product -- a broad measure of economic output -- gained 1.2% from the fourth quarter of 2009.

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"The momentum of national economic recovery has further expanded, which has laid a good foundation for reaching the targets set for the whole year," spokesman Li Xiaochao said.

The growth was fueled by industrial growth -- 22% for heavy industry and 14% for light industry -- and a nearly 18% expansion in consumer retail sales.

The figures mark a return to double-digit economic growth for China, which saw its white-hot economy slump to merely robust in 2009. China was able to maintain moderate economic growth even as the U.S. and Japanese economies were in recession last year.

In 2007, China's gross domestic product grew 13%.