Country's reform keeps growth on right track

China's economy has demonstrated resilience, stability and the potential for long-term improvement in the first half of 2025, despite a complex external environment and rising global uncertainties. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, China's GDP grew by 5.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025. The second-quarter expansion of 5.2 percent, following 5.4 percent in the first quarter, was within the government's annual target of around 5 percent, underscoring the world's second-largest economy's steady progress.

A series of tariff threats, restrictions on high-tech cooperation and politicized business decisions by certain Western countries have added to the external pressure. In addition, the global economic recovery remains uneven, with inflation, debt risks and geopolitical tensions weighing on investor confidence worldwide.

However, China's vast domestic market, improving consumption structure and a strong manufacturing sector provided important buffers against these uncertainties. According to the NBS, domestic demand was the primary driver of economic growth in the first half of the year and the government will introduce more favorable policies to promote consumption in the second half.