BEIJING — China's economy began the year on a firmer footing as factory output quickened while retail sales and investment rebounded in January-February, offering early relief for policymakers as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran injects fresh uncertainty for growth. The resilience followed a surge in exports driven by booming AI-related technology demand, which also buoyed upstream manufacturing, although analysts cautioned of risks to the outlook from geopolitical tensions, fragile consumer confidence and strains in global trade and energy markets. Industrial output rose 6.3 percent from the same period in the previous year, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed on Monday, up from the 5.2 percent growth clocked in December. It beat a 5 percent expansion forecast in a Reuters poll and marked the quickest growth since September last year. "While risks to the outlook have increased amid geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global trade and energy markets, the latest figures indicate that China entered the year with a firmer growth footing than previously thought," said Hao Z