STORY: Meituan posted a bigger-than-expected rise in third-quarter revenue on Friday (Nov 29).

China's largest food delivery firm defied weak Chinese consumption as revenue went up 22.4%.

The company reported revenue for the three months to September 30 at just under $13 billion - well up from a year before.

Its net profit for the quarter hit $1.78 billion - again much higher than a year earlier.

Chinese consumers are largely spending less.

Its led to low-cost and discounted products becoming the focus for shoppers and platforms alike.

That's helped Meituan, which delivers the goods for a small fee.

Meituan has also looked beyond Mainland China for growth.

It launched Keeta in Hong Kong last year and expanded that food delivery service to Saudi Arabia in recent months.

Company CEO Wang Xing said global expansion will be Meituan's long term strategy, but he cautioned the firm wouldn't rush into anything.

The firm's shares closed down 2% ahead of the results, and they are up almost 106% so far this year.