The world's second-largest economy reported 5% economic growth for 2025 on Monday, meeting the government's annual target. Data released last week also showed a record trade surplus of nearly $1.2 trillion for the year. Analysts say the surplus, driven by dumping exports on non-US markets, indicates that Chinese products remain globally competitive on price and that Beijing has managed to cushion the blow of Trump's trade policies.
"[The Trump administration] may have entered the office thinking that they could use their economic leverage to push China in certain policy directions," said Amanda Hsiao, a China studies director at the Eurasia Group consultancy.
"In fact, Beijing has its own pieces of leverage that match Washington's as well."
