China 's economy is still slowing , according to purchasing managers ' index ( API ) data for April . Activity in both the manufacturing and services sectors slowed over the month , as the Beijing government tried to curb the property and credit boom . The Chinese economy has defied expectations over the first three months of 2017, with GDP growing 6.9%, but economists expect the pace of expansion to ease during the rest of the year as the government continues its efforts to shift from an economic model based on debt-fuelled investment and exports towards a consumer-driven one. “ A steady flow of solid economic data will only reinforce expectations the Chinese authorities can afford to focus their efforts on reducing financial imbalances in the economy rather than supporting the growth rate of the economy itself , ” said Victoria Clarke , an economist at Investec . The PMI for factory activity was at a six - month low of 51.2 and the PMI for services was 54.0 , down from 55.1 in March .
China 's economy is still slowing , according to purchasing managers ' index ( API ) data for April . Activity in both the manufacturing and services sectors slowed over the month , as the Beijing government tried to curb the property and credit boom . “ A steady flow of solid economic data will only reinforce expectations the Chinese authorities can afford to focus their efforts on reducing financial imbalances in the economy rather than supporting the growth rate of the economy itself , ” said Victoria Clarke , an economist at Investec . The PMI for factory activity was at a six - month low of 51.2 and the PMI for services was 54.0 , down from 55.1 in March .