Chinese GDP growth slowed to 7.6% year-on-year in Q2, down from 8.1% in the previous three months, representing the country's sixth consecutive quarter of slowing economic growth.
According to a preliminary estimate from the National Bureau of Statistics, GDP growth in the first half averaged 7.8%, with GDP generated by industrial production up 8.3% and that generated by the services sector up 7.7%.
Meanwhile, the agricultural sector GDP growth was up only 4.3%.
A sign the danger of a property bubble has started to abate came from a slowing in the year-on-year growth of investment in real estate.
Year-on-year growth of first half investment in real estate was 16.6%, just over half of the 32.9% year-on-year growth seen in the first half of 2011.
Exports from the country were up 9.2% in the first half, while imports were up 6.7% over the same period.
The total trade surplus was $68.92bn.
Inflation in China has continued to slow in the first half, with both consumer and producer prices falling back. Consumer prices rose by 3.3% year-on-year, 2.1% lower than the growth in the same period last year.