China's economy has shown resilience so far this year in the face of global energy supply shocks, underpinned by strong high-tech investment and robust exports, said the latest China Economic Update of the World Bank Group.
According to the update released on Tuesday, the world's second-largest economy is expected to expand 4.4 percent in 2026, against a backdrop of slowing global growth, which is projected at 2.5 percent for 2026.
With policy support, high-tech investment and buffers against global energy supply disruptions partly offsetting weaker domestic demand in the second quarter, analysts said stronger-than-expected fiscal stimulus and artificial intelligence-related investment could provide additional upside, potentially lifting growth above the current forecast.
China's GDP reached 33.42 trillion yuan ($4.92 trillion) in the first quarter, expanding 5 percent year-on-year in real terms and hitting the upper end of the country's annual growth target range, said the National Bureau of Statistics.
"Net exports contributed 0.8 percentage points to GDP growth, largely driven by strong exports of high-tech products," said the report, titled "Rebalancing Growth".
