China's economy grew 4.5% in the July-September quarter from a year earlier.

This was up from 4.3% in the April-June quarter.

That was the slowest growth in more than three years.

Strong exports drove the faster growth.

Growth reached 4.6% in the first three quarters.

Beijing's target for the full year is 4.5% to 5%.

Last year's target was 5%.

Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for China's 2026 growth to 4.5%.

That is the lower end of the goal.

Moody's Analytics economist Dave Chia said domestic demand was weak.

But trade grew strongly.

He said exports will likely stay strong.

But trade barriers around the world are still a risk.

China's domestic demand has been weak for years.

This is because of a long downturn in its property market.

Max Zenglein of The Conference Board said the main growth number is becoming a poor sign of the wider economy.

He said it hides growing gaps across industries, regions and households.

Mao Shengyong is deputy head of China's National Bureau of Statistics.

He warned of problems ahead.

He said the world situation is complex and changing.

Domestic demand is still quite weak.

And the base for steady improvement still needs to be made stronger.

China is on track to beat last year's record $1.2 trillion trade surplus.

Exports rose 36% last month.

The surplus from January to September was already $938 billion.

High U.S. tariffs have pushed China to look to Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Semiconductors and cars are driving export growth.

This includes hybrid and electric cars.

The EU has a trade deficit with China of more than $1.1 billion a day.

Chinese exports to the EU rose 16% in the first nine months of the year.

Cornell University professor Eswar Prasad said it is not sustainable for the world's second largest economy to depend on foreign demand to support its growth.

He said China has become a drag on world growth, not an engine pulling it along.

Natixis economist Gary Ng said China can work with other countries on disputes.

He said China wants to keep its market access.

ING economist Lynn Song said trade imbalances will be hard to fix quickly.

Central bank governor Pan Gongsheng said Friday that China does not want a large trade surplus.

He said China is committed to growing domestic demand.