No respite for Chinese officials as economy shows new signs of weakness

Shipping containers and gantry cranes are seen at a port in Lianyungang, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on Aug. 7, 2024.

A recent string of dismal indicators have dulled expectations for China's economic performance in July, in an ominous sign for the rest of 2024 and pointing to the need for more stimulus measures beyond plastering over pain points in the world's second-largest economy.