China retail sales surge 6.4% in May
China’s retail sales jumped 6.4% YoY in May, beating analysts’ forecasts and marking the fastest expansion since December 2023, while industrial production growth slowed to 5.8%, its weakest pace this year. The mixed data highlights uncertainty for the world’s second-largest economy as it navigates trade tensions with the U.S. Manufacturing activity declined in April and May, with exports to the U.S. dropping 34% last month — the steepest fall since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Property investment declined 10.7% over the January-to-May period compared with the same period last year, while new home prices across 70 cities dropped 0.2% in May.