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Thu, 16 Apr 2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 China's economy grows faster than expected despite Iran war

The better-than-expected GDP data comes as Asian countries have been hit hard by the impact of the conflict.

* China's GDP grew by 5% in Q1, beating expectations of 4.8%
* This growth was despite the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran on global energy supplies and trade
* The rebound was driven by manufacturing, but property investment continues to weigh down the economy
* Export growth slowed sharply to 2.5% in March due to the conflict
* China's imports surged by nearly 28% in March, leaving a lower-than-expected monthly trade surplus of $50bn
* Economists warn that next quarter's GDP figure may be weaker due to ongoing trade disruptions caused by the war