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China’s economic rebound 'loses steam'

THE rebound in China’s economy after the pandemic has now slowed with its second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data missing the economists’ projection of 8.1 per cent growth, BBC reported.

The Asian country’s GDP increased by 7.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the same period last year.


This was less than half the rate seen in the previous quarter.

"China's economy sustained a steady recovery with the production and demand picking up," the National Bureau of Statistics of China said in a statement, adding, "The epidemic continues to mutate globally and external instabilities and uncertainties abound."

Economists have raised concerns about the recovery in the world's second largest economy in recent months amid steep rise in commodity prices.

China also witnessed supply chain disruptions as shipping firms were hit with backlogs and energy shortages hampered factory output.

The country’s economy grew a record 18.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, as per data released in April.

However, the data was heavily skewed, and less indicative of strong growth, as it was compared to last year's huge economic contraction.

China's economy shrank 6.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 due to nationwide lockdowns subsequent to the Covid-19 outbreak.

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John Xavier

In 2019, Xavier founded London Baron Limited, with Manavatty as its flagship product.

John Xavier

How John Xavier turned Kerala’s traditional arrack into Manavatty — a rising UK spirits brand

Highlights

  • Manavatty now available in over 250 off-licence shops across the UK and expanding to 20 countries.
  • Brand won bronze at London Spirits Competition 2025 and Spirit Bronze 2025 at International Wine and Spirit Competition.
  • Scottish National Party auctioned signed Manavatty bottles at Edinburgh for party fundraising.
When Scotland's first minister John Swinney signed a bottle of Manavatty at the Scottish National Party convention in Edinburgh on (November 15), it marked an extraordinary milestone for an entrepreneur who had resurrected a spirit banned in his native Indian state.
With Scotland's SNP elections approaching in 2026, the party selected Manavatty for their traditional fundraising auction, a recognition that few immigrant-founded brands achieve.

"It's a tradition for the SNP political party to keep a product at an auction and take the funds for party welfare," explains John Xavier, the man behind this unlikely success story.

John Xavier Manavatty was selected for SNP's traditional fundraising auctionJohn Xavier

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