Others would suggest that this was a remarkable economic performance in the face of substantial international trade obstacles. Ongoing policy changes were successful in unlocking domestic demand, as shown by increases in discretionary spending like travel, along with increases in retail sales and services. Consumption spending added more to China’s GDP growth in 2025 than it did in 2024.
China’s GDP figures, released on Jan 19, showed annual growth of 5% for 2025. Some Western media were quick to strike a downbeat tone, leading with headlines that fixated on the December quarter falling short of analysts’ expectations rather than the broader picture.
For these news groups, the typical headline was China’s fourth quarter growth slows to 4.5%, weakest in three years, as consumption misses forecasts.
