New Delhi, Jan. 19 -- China's economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2025, buoyed by strong exports despite U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

However, growth slowed to a 4.5% rate in the last quarter of the year, the government said Monday. That was the slowest quarterly growth since late 2022, when China was beginning to loosen stringent COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The economy, the world's second largest, grew at a 4.8% annual pace in the previous quarter.

China's leaders have been trying to spur faster growth after a slump in the property market and disruptions from the pandemic rippled through the economy.

As expected, annual growth last year was in line with the government's official target for an expansion of "around 5%....