China trade growth tops forecasts in Jan-Feb
Official figures on Tuesday showed that the nation's trade has surged by a fifth in the first two months of the year, significantly outpacing forecasts. The data – usually combined to account for distortions arising from the varying Chinese New Year holiday – showed a strong start to 2026. Exports in the period climbed 21.8 percent year-on-year, the General Administration of Customs said. It beats the 7.1 percent predicted by a survey conducted by Reuters. Imports also soared 19.8 percent. US President Donald Trump's renewed 2025 tariff war barely dented China’s industrial momentum, with manufacturers redirecting their exports to Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America to blunt the impact of losing US demand. Trump is expected to visit Beijing later this month for a highly anticipated leaders' summit. (AFP/Reuters) Edited by Altis Wong