Driving the newsChina’s economy has unexpectedly staggered into the second quarter. Factories slowed, consumers pulled back and investment unexpectedly shrank, delivering one of the clearest signs yet that Beijing’s recovery is being squeezed from both sides: weak demand at home and a more hostile global environment abroad.

Not a single economist surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted as pessimistic a reading for industry, retail sales and investment. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at…

China's economic activity unexpectedly weakened in April despite resilient exports, increasing pressure on Beijing to roll out more measures to aid growth.