The rate, which slightly exceeded the 5.1 per cent average estimate from analysts polled by Reuters, positions Beijing to hit its full-year target of about 5 per cent. It shows how China has been able to keep growth on track through exports and investment even as it struggles with weak demand at home.

Nvidia took a $4.5 billion write-off in its latest quarter on unsold H20 chips that it was unable to repurpose for other markets. If sales of these high-volume chips to China resume, a reversal of this write-off could boost earnings.