Tokyo | Slowing growth figures have upped pressure on Chinese leaders to inject confidence back into the world’s second-largest economy as they prepare to champion the country’s new economic strategy during “Third Plenum” Communist Party policy meetings this week.

Fresh data on Monday showed China’s economy grew much slower than expected in the second quarter, as a persistent property downturn squeezes domestic demand. China’s economy grew 4.7 per cent in April-June, missing analyst expectations of 5.1 per cent.