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 reported a better-than-expected economic growth as the world’s second largest economy took advantage of a trade truce with the US amid President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive.

China's economic growth slowed to 5.2% year-over-year in Q2 2025, its weakest pace since Q3 2024 and down from 5.4% in the preceding two quarters. Despite this deceleration, the Q2 figure slightly exceeded the 5.