(Reuters) -Apple's ( AAPL ) iPhone sales rose to the top spot in China in May, with global sales growing 15% year-on-year during April and May in the tech giant's strongest performance for the two-month period since the COVID-19 pandemic, data from Counterpoint Research showed.

The increase in global sales was primarily driven by a return to growth in Apple's ( AAPL ) two largest markets, China and the United States, preliminary data from Counterpoint Research showed.

The company was aided in part by tariff dodgers and also saw double-digit increases in Japan, India and the Middle Eastern markets, Counterpoint said.

"Q2 iPhone performance looks promising at the moment, but as always, swings either way are dictated by two markets - the U.S. and China," Ivan Lam, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research said.

Calculations based on data from the government-affiliated China Academy of Information and Communications Technology showed that April shipments of foreign-branded phones in China rose to 3.52 million units from 3.50 million a year earlier.

Apple ( AAPL ) has faced increased competition from domestic rivals in China and has resorted to price cuts to stay competitive.

Chinese e-commerce platforms were offering discounts of up to 2,530 yuan ($351) on Apple's ( AAPL ) latest iPhone 16 models in May.

(Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)