China Factory Output Slumps but Consumption Offers Bright Spot

A worker polishes machinery at a workshop of a steel machinery factory in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, on June 6, 2025. AFP

By Isabelle Kua

China’s factory output grew slower than expected last month as trade war pressures bit, official data showed Monday, while a bump in a key gauge of domestic consumption offered a rare bright spot for the economy.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Agence France-Presse

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2
China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming
3
Rubio to Welcome Asian ‘Quad’ Back to Washington
4
Chinese-Moroccan Joint Venture Inaugurates EV Battery Parts Plant
5
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Appoints “Tiger-Fighter’ as New Leader
6
Six Million Donkeys Slaughtered for Chinese Medicine: Charity

You Might Like

China Factory Activity Hits Lowest Since 2022, Survey Shows

Chinese factory activity hit a more than two-year low in May, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday, as a detente in Beijing’s trade war with Washington was offset by ongoing domestic problems in ...

How Do Western and Chinese Development Models Differ? Noted Chinese Economist Weighs In

While China’s financing of Global South infrastructure faces ongoing criticism from the World Bank (see above,) these traditional development institutions are partly to blame for many Global South countries’ inability to boost development.  ...

Mapping China’s Influence Tools in Africa

How does China build influence in Africa and the wider Global South? A new report from the hawkish U.S. think tank, the National Bureau of Asian Research features prominent researchers’ accounts of different ...

Communist Party of China Appoints New Diplomatic Head

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has appointed Liu Jianchao as the new head of its International Liaison Department, the Party’s diplomatic arm. Liu is the former ambassador to Indonesia and the Philippines. He also headed the Central Commission ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP