Looming U.S. tariffs, together with a real estate market slump feeding into weakening consumer confidence, saw China's GDP growth slow in the second quarter.

China has reported that its economy slowed in the last quarter as President Donald Trump's trade war escalated, but it still expanded at a robust 5.2% pace.

China's economy grew at a slower clip in the second quarter, as trade tensions with the U.S. rattled an economy already mired in deflation and a years-long housing downturn, raising pressure on Beijing to step up stimulus to underpin growth.