China’s economy is set to post a return to growth for the second quarter, with a range of indicators due Thursday to confirm the upward trend as the nation slowly climbs out of the virus-induced slump.
Gross domestic product is forecast to have expanded 2.2 percent in the three months to June, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed. That reverses the historic decline of 6.8 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year.
The steady resumption of growth in the Chinese economy will be a signal for a world still mired in an accelerating pandemic that the virus can be contained and output can recover. At the same time, China remains vulnerable to the effects of demand-sapping containment measures elsewhere, and local consumer confidence is fragile.