The factory output number, the weakest since 1992, follows disappointing trade data published this week showing exports nearly flat and imports falling 8.5% in May. Loan expansion in the period lagged every other month this year. Lost momentum for the world’s No. 2 economy reflects battered sentiment stemming from the Trump administration’s tariffs on Chinese exports and its efforts to contain the country’s technology sector. The U.S. pressure on trade exacerbates weakness associated with Beijing’s efforts until recently to cool economic activity to better control debt. More “It seems like all of China’s economic drivers are losing steam, from exports to property,” said Larry Hu, an economist at Macquarie Group in Hong Kong. “What’s a thorny issue for policy makers now is that their previous stimulus measures have failed to lift infrastructure investment, while at the same time its crucial property market is cooling.” Home sales rose 8.9% in […]