China has posted unexpectedly strong economic growth in the first three months of 2025, before the full force of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs took effect.

China has reported that its economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, supported by strong exports ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid increases in tariffs on Chinese exports

China's economy is expected to have slowed in the first quarter in the face of a prolonged property downturn, as policymakers brace for the impact of hefty U.S. tariffs that analysts say pose the biggest risk to the Asian powerhouse in decades.