STORY: Closed shops and shuttered factories are taking a toll on China’s economy.

Full or partial lockdowns hit major centres across the country in March and April.

That included Shanghai, the most populous city.

Numbers out Monday (May 16) showed the impact.

Retail sales shrank just over 11% on the year in April - the biggest drop since March 2020.

Meanwhile, factory production was down almost 3% on a year earlier.

That dashed hopes for a rise.

A host of other data, from job numbers to property sales and oil refining also pointed lower.

Now analysts warn that China’s slowdown may be hard to shake off.

There’s no prospect of a big surge in exports like the one that aided recovery from previous lockdowns.

Policymakers in Beijing are also limited in their options for more stimulus.

Economists say it all leaves the annual growth target of around 5.5% looking harder and harder to achieve.

The shock numbers sent stocks lower, with China’s blue-chip CSI300 index closing almost 1% down.