GUANGZHOU: The governor of Guangdong sees a sliver of hope in the economic downturn.

Gross domestic product (GDP) in the province, the country's largest contributor to the economy and trade, slowed to 5.5 percent in the first quarter of this year down from 10.5 percent on 2008.

The numbers were, however, a slight increase on the 5-percent growth experienced during the first two months of the year.