The state of China’s economy in 5 numbers in World Economy News 05/06/2026 Not so long ago, professional baseball changed. A new type of technocratic team manager took over who eschewed distractions like a player’s speed or bulging biceps, and focused instead on their raw numbers. The impacts of that shift have since spread far and wide. Writing up an effective scouting report on China’s economy might benefit from a similar approach. What can a handful of figures tell us? In a changing world, some point to the basic outline of an economy that doesn’t appear to be changing much. Simply becoming bigger and even more self-sufficient. It’s still clearly “export-led,” meaning China sells far more stuff to the world than it buys – about $1.2 trillion more last year alone, to be exact. And if you’ll recall, though it may seem long ago, 2025 was a funny year for trade. Traditional patterns had to be remixed as the US went on a tariff blitz. But China simply sold more to other countries in Asia even as it sold less to the US. Its monthly export numbers keep growing faster than most experts have anticipated. There is change in the air, though – even if the practical reality on the ground in the Strait of Hormuz seems to stagnate. The vital trade corridor’s effective closure has trained even more of the world’s attention on things China specializes in, like green energy and modes of transportation that don’t depend on a tanker laden with oil to transit a war zone. In a few weeks, participants will descend on Dalian, China for “Summer Davos.” Government officials, corporate decision-makers, and academics will try to gain the clearest possible view of a global economy with China increasingly at its centre. Five numbers in particular might help frame those discussions. 68 gigawatts In the first month after the Strait of Hormuz was closed, China shipped out enough solar energy capacity to power up the entire UK for a cold, dreary night. Those record export figures in March were du