21社论丨以高质量发展的确定性应对外部不确定性

Economic Growth - China's GDP grew by 5.3% year-on-year in the first half of the year, surpassing last year's growth of 5.0% and market expectations, laying a solid foundation for achieving the annual target of around 5% [1] - The contribution rates of the three main drivers of the economy were: final consumption expenditure at 52%, capital formation at 16.8%, and net exports at 31.2% [1] Consumption - Final consumption expenditure has become the main driving force for economic growth, with a contribution rate of 52.3% in the second quarter, slightly up from the first quarter [1] - The total retail sales of consumer goods reached 24.55 trillion yuan, growing by 5% year-on-year, with a second-quarter growth of 5.4%, an acceleration of 0.8 percentage points from the first quarter [1] - Various policies to expand domestic demand and promote consumption, particularly the "trade-in" policy, significantly boosted sales in appliances, automobiles, and communication products [1][2] Investment - Investment growth and contribution rates showed fluctuations, with real estate investment continuing to decline and manufacturing investment facing saturation and pressure [3] - Fixed asset investment nominally grew by 2.8%, while the actual growth rate, after adjusting for price effects, was 5.3% [3] - The manufacturing sector's investment growth fell to 5.1% year-on-year in June, indicating challenges in industrial production despite strong consumption and net exports [3] Trade and Exports - Net exports contributed significantly to economic growth, with total goods trade reaching 21.79 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.9% [2] - Exports broke the historical record of 13 trillion yuan, growing by 7.2% year-on-year, while imports decreased by 2.7% [2] Market Sentiment - International institutions have raised their growth forecasts for China, reflecting the resilience of the economy against external shocks and the growth potential of domestic consumption [4] - The Shanghai Composite Index surpassed 3,500 points, driven by restored investor confidence and expectations of continued policy support in the second half of the year [4]