China’s consumption improved in September, while investment cooled and industrial production was steady, as Beijing stepped up efforts to stimulate growth.
Industrial production rose 4.5% from a year earlier, matching the pace in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. The result beat the 4.4% increase expected by economists in a Wall Street Journal poll.
Retail sales, a key metric for domestic consumption, rose 5.5%, accelerating from August’s 4.6% increase and topping the 4.8% growth expected by economists surveyed.
Fixed-asset investment increased 3.1% over the January to September period, down from the 3.2% rise recorded in the first eight months of the year. Economists surveyed had expected fixed-asset investment to grow 3.3% on year.
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