Despite the poor performance, official data reported a 5.9 percent year-over-year growth for March, causing eyebrows to raise among many Chinese netizens.
Beijing’s escalating trade fight with Washington threatens to deepen its economic woes, but backing down risks the CCP’s hold on power, according to analysts.
A White House official confirmed that the new tariff rate on Chinese products now totals 145 percent, not 125 percent as the president suggested earlier.