China’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 5.3% year on year in the first half (H1) of 2025 to 66.05 trillion yuan (US$9.24 trillion), the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday. Second-quarter growth came in at 5.2%. The tertiary sector led the way, expanding 5.5%, while the primary and secondary industries grew 3.7% and 5.3%, respectively. Thanks to an accelerated rollout of more proactive macro policies since January, the economy has advanced steadily, with key indicators outperforming expectations despite lingering headwinds