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.

The year-on-year expansion matched China’s growth rate in the fourth quarter and exceeded Beijing’s full-year target for 2025, as well as the 5.1 per cent forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. The strong first-quarter growth came despite Trump’s first salvo of 20 per cent tariffs,

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