China's May export growth slowed to a three-month low as U.S. tariffs slammed shipments, while factory-gate deflation deepened to its worst level in two years, heaping pressure on the world's second-largest economy on both the domestic and external fronts.

Chinese exports grew slower than expected in May, according to official data Monday, as shipments to the United States tumbled amid global trade turmoil triggered by Donald Trump's tariff blitz.

China on Saturday said it had granted approval to some applications for the export of rare earths, in a move that comes just ahead of fresh trade talks between Chinese and U.S. officials on Monday. China's strict export controls over rare earths has been a flashpoint in trade relations with the U.

Asian stock markets have advanced ahead of the second round of trade talks between Washington and Beijing, following a solid report on the U.S. job market.

Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's top aides will meet with their Chinese counterparts in London on Monday for talks aimed at resolving a trade dispute between the world's two largest economies that has kept global markets on edge.