Containers organised in stacks at the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone in Shanghai on March 6, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

The latest survey conducted by the Institute of Industrial Economics, under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has revealed economists are more upbeat about China's economic performance in the second quarter of the year,?The Economic Observer reports.

Of the 131 economists surveyed, 38.9 percent believed the economic growth rate in the second quarter was going to be higher than a year ago.

However, 39.7 percent of the economists said the growth would be flat and an additional 17.6 percent said it would fall year-on-year.

According to the survey, the economic climate index based on the economists' views rose 12 points to 117, and since the second quarter of last year, the index has been on the rise for four straight quarters.

Economists also expressed optimism about exports in the country, as stated in the survey.

More than 51 percent of economists said Q2 exports would grow from a year earlier, with 20 percentage points more than from the survey conducted in the previous quarter.

Furthermore, the survey revealed 47.6 percent of the economists believed exports would see a rise quarter-on-quarter, with 23.2 percentage points higher than the previous survey showed.