{"text":[[{"start":9.8,"text":"China’s exports rose by almost 24 per cent last month on a year earlier, adding to recent monthly increases that have highlighted the resilience of trade in the world’s second-largest economy."}],[{"start":22.72,"text":"Exports added 23.9 per cent in dollar terms year on year in July, official data from China’s General Administration of Customs showed on Friday, moderating from growth of 27 per cent the month before."}],[{"start":36.1,"text":"Imports rose 27.5 per cent year on year in dollar terms in July, slowing from 36 per cent growth in June."}],[{"start":43.48,"text":"China’s soaring exports, which have consistently risen at double-digit rates in 2026, well above the rates of recent years, come amid signs of growing pressure in the world’s second-largest economy."}],[{"start":55.8,"text":"Official growth in second-quarter GDP fell below an official target that was already the slowest in decades. Monthly indicators tracking investment and retail spending have also weakened sharply, adding to a sense of reliance on trade to drive activity."}],[{"start":70.12,"text":"Beijing last week pledged to accelerate spending to support the economy but stopped short of unveiling any major stimulus."}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":77.44,"text":"China’s trade surplus in goods last year hit a record of $1.2tn, fuelling concerns from its trading partners over perceived imbalances. These fears have become especially acute in Europe where the auto industry is battling intensive competition from China."}],[{"start":93.68,"text":"For the January-to-July period, China’s trade surplus in goods is now running at $687.4bn, above last year’s level of $680.6bn."}],[{"start":104.8,"text":"A tariff war between the US and China, meanwhile, was suspended in October by a one-year truce, but tensions have continued to simmer. Beijing this week tightened export controls of drones to the US, which has in turn taken steps to curb tech imports from the mainland."}],[{"start":120.92,"text":"China’s exports of integrated circuits continued to hit new monthly records thanks to the global boom in demand for artificial intelligence, reaching $38.7bn in July, or close to 10 per cent of total exports."}],[{"start":134.08,"text":"Data visualisation by Haohsiang Ko in Hong Kong"}],[{"start":140.74,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1786076821_9603.mp3"}