China's industrial profit growth slowed to its weakest pace this year, expanding 11.2% from a year earlier in July, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. For the first seven months of 2026, profits climbed 17.6% year-on-year, losing momentum from the 18.7% rate seen in the first half of the year. The recovery in industrial corporate profitability this year has largely been supported by a global artificial intelligence boom.