China GDP grows 5.2%, Xi gets a boost for hammering out final trade deal with Trump

China GDP grows 5.2%, Xi gets a boost for hammering out final trade deal with Trump

With better-than-expected growth of 5.2% in the April-June, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has got a boost to negotiate better terms in ongoing trade talks with the United States. He has already leveraged the near-monopoly over rare earths to force US President Donald Trump to blink and make concessions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a toast at the beginning of the welcoming banquet at the Great Hall of the People during the first day of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China on May 14, 2017. (Source: Reuters)