The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday that China's industrial output rose 7.2% from a year earlier, below October's 7.7% growth and undershooting a market expectation of 7.5% expansion. The result was also the slowest growth this year, with the sole exception of August's 6.9% increase.
Separately, NBS said retail sales grew a modest 11.7% from the year-earlier period in November, a marginal improvement from the previous month's 11.5% rate. Also, fixed-asset investment for the January-November period increased 15.8%, in line with expectations. Property investment increased 11.9% for the January-November period, slower than the 12.4% increase over the January-October period.
Friday's figures follow weaker-than-expected imports, exports and inflation figures earlier this week, adding to speculation that the Chinese central bank will undertake additional easing measures. In late November, the People's Bank of China cut interest rates for the first time in over two years to support the flagging economy as Beijing appears on course to miss the 7.5% growth target set earlier this year.
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