China's economy has slowed in the face of trade turbulence triggered by tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, and a prolonged crisis in the property market continues to weigh on growth, reports the BBC.
Official figures show the world's second-largest economy grew by 5.2% in the three months ending in June, compared to the same time last year. That's a slight decrease from the 5.4% recorded in the previous quarter.
However, the country has successfully avoided a sharp downturn so far, in part because of measures announced by Beijing to help support the economy and a fragile tariffs truce with Washington.
The economy "withstood pressure and made steady improvement despite challenges", said China's National Bureau of Statistics in a statement.
Officials said economic growth was sustained by a 6.4% expansion in manufacturing, with higher demand for 3D printing devices, electric vehicles and industrial robots.
The country's services sector, including areas like transport, finance, and technology, also made a profit.
Nonetheless, in June, retail sales growth decelerated to 4.8% from a year earlier, compared with a 6.4% increase in May.
Also on Tuesday, official figures revealed a drop in China's new home prices in June, falling at the fastest monthly pace in eight months. The data suggests the country's real estate industry is hurting despite multiple accounts of government intervention to stabilise the price.
Analysts have expected a bigger fallout in China's economy in the face of Trump's tariffs; still, the country remains "highly resilient", said economist Gu Qingyang from the National University of Singapore.
Growth was boosted by exports, mainly due to firms rushing to ship goods before potential new tariffs or changes to China's export strategy take effect, he added.
However, Gu noted that the second half of the year is likely to be more uncertain.
"As a result, stronger government stimulus might be needed. That said, achieving the 5% annual growth target still seems well within reach."
But some economists expect China to falter from its "around 5%" annual growth target this year.
"The real question is by how much. We believe it will defend a floor of 4%, which remains the minimum politically acceptable level," Dan Wang, director for China at consultancy Eurasia Group, told the BBC.
A tariff war between China's President Xi Jinping and Trump led to the US imposing a 145% levy on Chinese imports. Beijing introduced a 125% duty on some US goods in response.
Those tariffs were paused following negotiations in Geneva and London, as the two sides now have until 12 August to reach a long-term trade deal.
Meanwhile, Washington has also imposed heavy levies on countries with close economic ties to China.
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