The Economic Wheels in China Are Grinding Even Slower

July Slump The Economic Wheels in China Are Grinding Even Slower

2026-08-17 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

China's economy lost further momentum in July. Chinese industrial production rose by 4.5 percent compared to the same month last year, but it was higher in June ...

Even in July, the flag of the Chinese economy did not flutter particularly briskly in the air. Read here what’s happening and why production in China is apparently declining ...(Image: AI-generated) — Even in July, the flag of the Chinese economy did not flutter particularly briskly in the air. Read here what’s happening and why production in China is apparently declining ...
(Image: AI-generated)

As reported by the Beijing Statistics Bureau, production in China increased by 4.5 percent in July, but in June, the growth had been 5.3 percent. Consumers also remained cautious, as retail sales rose by only 0.6 percent. At the same time, the decline in investments worsened. From January to July, fixed-asset investments fell by 6.7 percent due to this trend. Thus, it is said, three key metrics fall short of analysts' expectations.

New China Goals Are Likely to Make the Government Sweat

Real estate investments even plummeted by nearly a fifth (19.2 percent) during this period. The real estate crisis and weak demand in China continue to weigh on the world's second-largest economy. Strong exports remain an important support. However, the high trade surplus is also known to cause tensions with major trading partners, such as the US and the EU. In the second quarter, China's economy grew by only 4.3 percent year-on-year. For the full year, Beijing is aiming for growth between 4.5 and 5 percent. The new data is likely to increase pressure on the government to introduce further economic stimulus measures.

Subscribe to the newsletter now

Don't Miss out on Our Best Content

Business E-mail

Please enter a valid mailadress.

By clicking on „Subscribe to Newsletter“ I agree to the processing and use of my data according to the consent form (please expand for details) and accept the Terms of Use. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. The consent declaration relates, among other things, to the sending of editorial newsletters by email and to data matching for marketing purposes with selected advertising partners (e.g., LinkedIn, Google, Meta)

Date: 08.12.2025

Naturally, we always handle your personal data responsibly. Any personal data we receive from you is processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation. For detailed information please see our privacy policy.

Consent to the use of data for promotional purposes

I hereby consent to Vogel Communications Group GmbH & Co. KG, Max-Planck-Str. 7-9, 97082 Würzburg including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG (hereafter: Vogel Communications Group) using my e-mail address to send editorial newsletters. A list of all affiliated companies can be found here

Newsletter content may include all products and services of any companies mentioned above, including for example specialist journals and books, events and fairs as well as event-related products and services, print and digital media offers and services such as additional (editorial) newsletters, raffles, lead campaigns, market research both online and offline, specialist webportals and e-learning offers. In case my personal telephone number has also been collected, it may be used for offers of aforementioned products, for services of the companies mentioned above, and market research purposes.

Additionally, my consent also includes the processing of my email address and telephone number for data matching for marketing purposes with select advertising partners such as LinkedIn, Google, and Meta. For this, Vogel Communications Group may transmit said data in hashed form to the advertising partners who then use said data to determine whether I am also a member of the mentioned advertising partner portals. Vogel Communications Group uses this feature for the purposes of re-targeting (up-selling, cross-selling, and customer loyalty), generating so-called look-alike audiences for acquisition of new customers, and as basis for exclusion for on-going advertising campaigns. Further information can be found in section “data matching for marketing purposes”.

In case I access protected data on Internet portals of Vogel Communications Group including any affiliated companies according to §§ 15 et seq. AktG, I need to provide further data in order to register for the access to such content. In return for this free access to editorial content, my data may be used in accordance with this consent for the purposes stated here. This does not apply to data matching for marketing purposes.

Right of revocation

I understand that I can revoke my consent at will. My revocation does not change the lawfulness of data processing that was conducted based on my consent leading up to my revocation. One option to declare my revocation is to use the contact form found at https://contact.vogel.de. In case I no longer wish to receive certain newsletters, I have subscribed to, I can also click on the unsubscribe link included at the end of a newsletter. Further information regarding my right of revocation and the implementation of it as well as the consequences of my revocation can be found in the data protection declaration, section editorial newsletter.