China’s growth slowed slightly in the fourth quarter as Beijing eased back on efforts to rev up the economy, signaling a potential slow start for the new year as the country’s leaders seek to reshape the world’s second-largest economy. Many economists already expect the Chinese economy to slow further in the coming year as the country’s leaders prepare to introduce reform measures. These would be aimed at reducing the economy’s dependence on investment and trade and boosting its reliance on domestic spending and the expansion in the service industries. The nation’s economy grew 7.7% in the fourth quarter from a year ago, slower than the 7.8% it posted in the third quarter, according to data released Monday by China’s National Bureau of Statistics. For the year it also posted 7.7% growth, matching the revised pace it recorded in 2012. “There was steady economic progress [last year] and this was […]