Economists were waiting for different results.
The Chinese economists were waiting for significant growth in the second half of the year. As you may know, the officials of China softened the lockdown and pandemic rules. The economy started growing just like predicted in the second quarter of the year. The second part of the year is very different. The delta variant is going strong in China, and new cases reach new heights. According to the latest data, economists believe that economic recovery will be prolonged compared to forecast.