Chinese economy grows 5.2% in the 2nd quarter of 2025

The Chinese economy grew 5.2% in the second quarter of the year, according to official data published on Tuesday (15) that coincide with forecasts, thanks to the good performance of exports and despite the trade war with the United States .

The leaders of the world's second-largest economy are fighting a battle on several fronts to maintain economic growth, a challenge made more difficult by US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive.

The US leader has imposed tariffs on China and its main trading partners since returning to office in January, threatening Chinese exports just when Beijing is most dependent on them to stimulate economic activity.

Washington and Beijing have been trying to de-escalate the trade dispute after reaching a landmark agreement in talks in London last month, but observers warn of lingering uncertainty.

Trump raised the stakes on Monday, warning Russia's trading partners that he will impose "very severe" tariffs, reaching 100 percent , if Moscow does not end its war in Ukraine within 50 days.

Western countries have repeatedly called on China – a key trading ally of Russia – to exert its influence and get Vladimir Putin to end the three-year-old war.

Highlight for the industry

Chinese retail sales—a key consumption indicator—rose 4.8% year-over-year, below the 5.3% forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. However, industrial production rose 6.8%, higher than the 5.6% estimate.

"The national economy has withstood the pressure and shown steady improvement despite the challenges," Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics, said at a press conference.

"Production and demand grew steadily, employment remained generally stable, household income continued to rise, new growth drivers witnessed robust development, and high-quality development achieved new breakthroughs," he said.

Further fueling optimism, data from China's General Administration of Customs released Monday showed exports rose much more than expected in June, helped by the trade truce between Washington and Beijing.

Imports also rose 1.1%, above the expected 0.3% gain and marking the first growth this year.

Customs official Wang Lingjun told a news conference on Monday that Beijing hoped "the United States would continue to work together with China in the same direction," state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The tariff truce was "hard-won," Wang said. "There is no way out through blackmail and coercion. Dialogue and cooperation are the right path," he emphasized.