Gao’s sin? Saying that China may have grown just 2% over the last two or three years, less than half the rate Xi’s government claims. The reason Gao is allegedly being silenced is for shining a brighter-than-usual spotlight on one of the biggest perception problems facing Xi’s Communist Party: that China routinely cooks the GDP books.

China’s economy grew more than expected in the last three months of 2024, official data showed on Friday, as it awaits the likely imposition of fresh tariffs by US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next week.

China's economy ended 2024 on better footing than expected helped by a flurry of stimulus measures, although the threat of a new trade war with the United States and weak domestic demand could hurt confidence in a broader recovery this year.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has told advisers he wants to travel to China after he takes office, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, quoting people familiar with the discussions. Trump has expressed interest in traveling to China in his first 100 days in office,

Donald Trump has privately told his advisers he wants to visit China after being sworn in to office, three sources familiar with the talks told CNN, as the president-elect seeks to facilitate an open dialogue with Beijing while also pursuing hardline stance on the country.