{"text":[[{"start":8.8,"text":"China’s exports rebounded strongly in April, beating analysts’ expectations, as the country’s manufacturers helped soften the economic blow from the US war in Iran. "}],[{"start":19.4,"text":"The pace of export growth from the world’s factory floor recovered to 14.1 per cent last month, year on year in dollar terms, after falling to just 2.5 per cent in March, according to data released on Saturday by China’s General Administration of Customs."}],[{"start":37.8,"text":"Coming just days out from a high-stakes summit in Beijing this week between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, the data shows that American tariffs have done little to slow China’s export machine."}],[{"start":51.65,"text":"“The rebound in exports after last month’s dip underscores the strength of China’s high‑end manufacturing, especially in electronics and machinery,” said Hao Zhou, head of research and chief economist at brokerage Guotai Junan International Holdings."}],[{"start":67.35,"text":"China’s imports rose 25.3 per cent year on year in April, pulling back slightly from 27.8 per cent a month earlier, reflecting inflationary pressure from higher commodity prices as well as an improvement in domestic demand in China. "}],[{"start":81.6,"text":"The trade figures were well ahead of median forecasts among analysts surveyed by Bloomberg for 8.5 per cent growth in exports and 20 per cent in imports."}],[{"start":91.6,"text":"China has become increasingly dependent on export growth to counter persistently weak consumer confidence and tepid domestic spending since a slump in the country’s property sector."}],[{"start":102.1,"text":"The country’s trade surplus rose to $84.8bn in April, similar to the levels seen throughout the post-pandemic years, and up from $51.1bn in March. "}],[{"start":113.3,"text":"The rising global dominance of Chinese industries, including ships, chips, cars and robots, has sparked criticism from trading partners over excess capacity in China and Beijing’s deep state support."}],[{"start":125.55,"text":"A flood of low-cost and high-tech products from China is disrupting economies across the world. Economists are increasingly questioning whether other countries can absorb China’s exports."}],[{"start":136.6,"text":"Still, the higher import costs highlight that China is not immune from the global fall out from the US war in Iran despite having amassed record stockpiles of oil and other resources ahead of the attacks in late February. "}],[{"start":151,"text":"Like much of Asia, which is highly dependent on the Hormuz Strait for oil and gas trade, Chinese industries that rely on petrochemical feedstocks are being hit by supply shortages and sharp price increases. "}],[{"start":172.15,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778316534_1170.mp3"}