China’s GDP expanded 4.8% yoy in the Q3, the slowest pace in a year but still slightly ahead of expectations for 4.7%. Even so, with cumulative growth of 5.2% over the first nine months, China remains on track to meet its full-year target of “around 5%”.
Industrial production provided a bright spot, climbing 6.5% yoy in September, up sharply from August’s 5.2% and well above expectations of 5.0%. Retail sales also beat expectations of 2.9% yoy slightly, rising 3.0% even as the pace slowed from 3.4%, pointing to modest resilience in consumption.
Yet beneath the surface, the investment picture deteriorated further. Fixed-asset investment slipped -0.5% year-to-date yoy. Property investment fell -13.9%, extending the sector’s prolonged drag on growth. Private investment declined -3.1%, marking a deeper contraction than earlier in the year, and even ex-property investment slowed from 4.2% to 3.0% growth.
The data reaffirm that while parts of the industrial economy are stabilizing, domestic demand and investor sentiment remain fragile.
