China’s economy demonstrated resilience in the first quarter of 2026, expanding by 5% year-over-year, surpassing analyst expectations of 4.8%. This growth marks a notable rebound from the 4.5% expansion in late 2025, which was the slowest since the pandemic lockdowns ended three years ago. Despite ongoing challenges such as weak domestic demand, oversupply issues, and rising external risks, China’s strong export performance helped drive this unexpected upturn.