Hong Kong: China’s economy expanded at a 5 per cent annual pace in 2025, buoyed by strong exports despite Trump’s tariffs.

However, growth slowed to 4.5 per cent in the last quarter of the year, the government said Monday. That was the slowest quarterly growth since late 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy, the world’s second largest, grew at a 4.8 per cent annual pace in the previous quarter.

China’s leaders have been trying to spur faster growth after a slump in the property market and disruptions from the pandemic rippled through the economy.

Strong exports helped to compensate for weak consumer spending and business investment, contributing to a record trade surplus of USD 1.2 trillion.

As expected, annual growth last year was in line with the government’s official target for an expansion of “about 5 per cent”.