China's economy expanded 4.3% year-on-year in Q2 2026, slowing from 5.0% in Q1 and missing market expectations of 4.5%. It marked the weakest annual growth since Q4 2022, as soft domestic demand, subdued private investment, and the prolonged property downturn outweighed continued support from resilient AI-related exports. The latest reading also fell below the lower end of Beijing's 4.5%–5.0% annual growth target, underscoring the uneven recovery and reinforcing expectations of further policy support. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement that external uncertainties remained elevated, while the economy continued to face an imbalance between robust supply and weak demand. For the first half of 2026, GDP grew 4.7%. Deputy NBS head Mao Shengyong noted that the economy remained "within an appropriate range" and demonstrated "strong resilience," supported by high-tech and equipment manufacturing, while the services sector continued to post solid growth.