China's economy expanded at a 5.4% annual pace in January-March, the government said Wednesday, supported by strong exports ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s rapid increases in tariffs on Chinese products.

China's economy grew by 5.4% in the first quarter year-on-year as a tit-for-tat trade war with US President Donald Trump escalates China's economy grew by 5.4% year-on-year in the first three months of the 2025, according to data just released by the government.

The year-on-year expansion matched China’s growth rate in the fourth quarter and exceeded Beijing’s full-year target for 2025, as well as the 5.1 per cent forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. The strong first-quarter growth came despite Trump’s first salvo of 20 per cent tariffs,