BEIJING – China's economy rebounded in the final quarter of 2012 but optimism was tempered by warnings the shaky recovery could be vulnerable to a possible downturn in global trade.

Economic growth rose to 7.9 percent in the three months ending in December as a recovery from China's deepest slowdown since the 2008 global crisis took hold, data showed Friday. That was up from the previous quarter's 7.4 percent rate and raised total growth for the year to 7.8 percent – China's weakest annual performance since the 1990s.

Forecasters expect China's growth to rise to 8 percent or above in 2013 but say the recovery still could be vulnerable to a downturn in trade or if the communist government fails to keep investment rising.