CBN丨China's industrial output, retail sales continue to increase in April

2025年05月19日 19:18 21世纪经济报道 21财经APP 李莹亮

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Chinese economy displays strong resilience in April, marked by 6.1% rise in industrial output and 5.1% growth in retail sales;
HKEX is set to become the world's top destination for IPOs after CATL’s listing tomorrow.

Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours

China's economy continued to grow steadily in April with supportive macroeconomic policies despite external shocks, official data showed on Monday.

Figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's value-added industrial output- a gauge of activity in the manufacturing, mining and utilities sectors - rose by 6.1 percent year-on-year in April after a 7.7 percent growth in March.

Retail sales, a key measurement of consumer spending, grew by 5.1 percent year-on-year in April versus the 5.9 percent increase in March.

Fixed-asset investment - a gauge of expenditures on items including infrastructure, property, machinery and equipment – rose by 4 percent during the January-April period compared to a year ago, while in the first quarter, it grew by 4.2 percent.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate came in at 5.1 percent in April, down from 5.2 percent in March, according to the NBS.

Boosted by the government's latest package of pro-growth stimulus policies, major economic indicators have witnessed a pattern of strong resilience, NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui said at a press conference on Monday.

“The fundamentals of China’s long-term sound economic growth will not change, with concerted efforts on macro policies, the growing momentum of consumption and innovation,” Fu said.

However, the NBS warned of mounting external uncertainties, saying the foundation for sustained recovery is yet to be consolidated.

Responding to a question whether Fu expects a surge in exports to the US following the recent Geneva agreement on significant tariff cuts, and on the trade outlook for the rest of the year, Fu said that in April, the external environment changed drastically, and the pressure on foreign trade increased. However, China’s foreign trade overcame difficulties and maintained steady growth.

According to the NBS, in April, China’s total import and export of goods rose by 5.6 percent, of which, exports grew 9.3 percent, maintaining a faster growth.

Fu noted that amid growing external shocks, China’s foreign trade has withstood the pressure and maintained growth, reflecting the solid support capacity of the industrial base, as the country’s complete industrial system with upgrading of the manufacturing industry occupies an important position in the global industrial chain, and has a strong advantage in international competition.

Home prices in 70 major Chinese cities remained flat or fell in April from March, the NBS said today. The prices continued to fall on a yearly basis, but the pace of decline further eased. The NBS data also revealed a narrowing in the year-on-year decline in the volume of new home sales during the January-April period, compared with the first quarter of the year.

GBA express

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Industry and company news

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Shanghai Disneyland announced today that it has broken ground on its Spiderman-themed land. The theme park will launch a series of events and activities related to Disney Pixar films in June.

Asia-Pacific highlights

Chinese automaker Changan Automobile's first overseas electric vehicle production plant started operations in Thailand on Friday. Located in Rayong Province in eastern Thailand, the facility represents Changan's inaugural comprehensive overseas EV production base. With an initial investment of 10 billion baht (USD301.4 million) for the first phase, the plant is poised to serve as a manufacturing center for the ASEAN region and global right-hand drive markets.