On July 15, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released a group of figures which reflect the operation of China's national economy in the first half of this year.

China's gross domestic product expanded 6.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2016 to reach CNY 34.06 trillion (US$ 5.08 trillion). In January-June, the value-added industrial output of the textile industry grew 7.3% year-on-year, and the retail sales of clothing, head & foot gear and knitted goods rose 7%, both outpacing the growth of national GDP.