Economic resilience — the Chinese way

Pakistan’s most significant ally China has sprung another surprise on those who thought that US President Donald Trump’s tariff wars, leading to global trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, could slow down its economic rise. The 5.3 per cent year-on-year expansion in China’s economy during the first half of 2025 defies expectations and reinforces Beijing’s recovery momentum amid a volatile global environment. Data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last week showed that its GDP has reached $9.24 trillion between January and June. The second quarter grew by 5.2pc year-on-year and 1.1pc quarter-on-quarter — exceeding expectations of 0.9pc and signalling continued resilience despite domestic weakness. This performance challenges pessimistic forecasts, underlining the strength of China’s industrial and export sectors, as industrial production, external demand, domestic consumption and targeted public investment were the main growth drivers, even though real estate and private investment remained soft.