China’s economy picked up speed in the fourth quarter of 2020 to end the year with a growth rate of 2.3 percent. The growth could make China the only major economic power to expand following worldwide business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus crisis. Growth in the three months ending in December rose to 6.5 percent over a year earlier, official data released this week showed. The growth was driven in large part by the Chinese public returning to stores, restaurants and movie theaters. In the first quarter, economy activity fell 6.8 percent, as the ruling Communist Party decided to shut down most of its economy to fight the coronavirus. In the second quarter, China became the first major economy to expand.