China's GDP grows 4.5% in Q3 2026 on AI exports
China's economy picked up a bit in Q3 2026, growing 4.5%, mainly because of a surge in AI-related exports like computer chips for data centers.
While that's slightly better than last quarter, it's still below the start of the year but fits Beijing's targets, giving leaders some breathing room as they handle ongoing challenges.
China's surplus nears $1.2T, Beijing eases
AI exports have pushed China's trade surplus close to last year's $1.2 trillion record.
Still, problems at home, like a struggling property market and high youth unemployment, aren't going away.
In response, Beijing rolled out interest rate cuts and property buyer subsidies in September to try to keep things moving.
US EU pushback threatens China's momentum
Despite the growth boost from AI, China faces pushback from the US and EU over cheap goods flooding their markets and questions about whether big investments in AI will really pay off.
These global tensions are making it trickier for China to keep up its momentum.