Last week, China reported the world's largest-ever trade surplus last week - the value of goods and services sold overseas compared to its imports - of $1.19tn (£890bn), driven by a rise in exports to markets outside the US.

China clocked its lowest birth rate on record in 2025 as its population shrank for the fourth year in a row, deepening a demographic challenge that could drag on the world’s second-largest economy for decades to come.