China’s economy grew at a slower clip in the second quarter, as trade tensions with the U.S. rattled an economy already mired in deflation and a years-long housing downturn, raising pressure on Beijing to step up stimulus to underpin growth. China’s gross domestic product expanded by 5.2% in the second quarter, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics on Monday, slightly beating Reuters-polled economists’ estimates of a 5.1% growth, and decelerating from the 5.4% in the first quarter. In June, retail sales growth slowed to 4.8% from a year earlier, compared with the 6.4% year-on-year increase in May. That ... (full story)