China’s economy grew 6.3% in the second quarter, lower than expected as momentum slows

BEIJING (AP) — China’s economy grew 6.3% in the second quarter after near-stagnant growth a year earlier. It missed analyst expectations even as momentum is expected to weaken in the coming quarters. The 6.3% growth in gross domestic product from April to June was the fastest in the past year and outpaced the 4.5% growth in the previous quarter, according to government data released Monday. The surge was largely due to being compared to the same quarter a year ago, when strict lockdowns were in place in cities like Shanghai during China’s worst COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic. Analysts had forecasted growth for the second quarter to exceed 7%.