BEIJING, Oct 18 (Reuters) - China’s economy grew slower than expected in the third quarter, official data showed on Monday, as power outages and supply bottlenecks hurt factories while sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks weighed on consumption. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 4.9% in the July-September quarter from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slowing from 7.9% in April-June and compared with expectations for a rise of 5.2% in a Reuters poll of economists. That was the weakest reading since last year’s third quarter, when GDP also grew 4.9%, and marked a further deceleration from a record 18.3% expansion in the first quarter. On a quarterly basis, GDP expanded 0.2% in the July-Sept period, lagging expectations for a 0.5% rise in the Reuters poll and down from 1.3% in the second quarter. The world’s second-largest economy has staged an impressive rebound from the pandemic but the recovery is losing steam. Problems including faltering factory activity, persistently soft consumption and a slowing property sector have fanned speculation that policymakers may announce more stimulus measures in coming months. (Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Sam Holmes) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. PAID PROMOTIONAL LINKS Promoted by Dianomi