In the first half of the year, the world's second-largest economy expanded by 5.3 percent, the NBS said Tuesday.

China's economy is likely to have cooled in the second quarter after a solid start to the year, as trade tensions and a prolonged property downturn drag on demand, raising pressure on policymakers to roll out additional stimulus to underpin growth.

China's economy grew by more than 5% in the second quarter, despite global headwinds and tensions with the U.S., official data showed Tuesday,