China consumer inflation quickens in December

AFP, BEIJING: China’s consumer inflation rate crept higher in December, official data showed Saturday, as the world’s second-largest economy struggles with slower growth.
The consumer price index (CPI) -- a main gauge of inflation—rose 1.6 percent last month from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
It edged up from November’s 1.5 percent, and came in at 1.4 percent over the course of the year, well below the government’s target of “around three percent”.
Food prices, however, rose at a faster pace, increasing 2.3 percent in 2015 with particularly steep rises in pork prices.
Moderate inflation can be a boon to consumption as it pushes buyers to act before prices go up, while falling prices encourage shoppers to delay purchases and companies to put off investment, both of which can hurt growth.
China is crucial to the global economy and concerns over slowing growth and Beijing’s management of the economy sent jitters through stock markets around the world this week.

China consumer inflation quickens in December

AFP, BEIJING: Chinas consumer inflation rate crept higher in December, official data showed Saturday, as the worlds second-largest economy struggles with slower growth. The consumer price index (CPI) -- a main gauge of inflationrose 1.6 percent last month from a year ago, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. It edged up from Novembers 1.5 percent, and came in at 1.4 percent over the course of the year, well below the governments target of around three percent. Food prices, however, rose at a faster pace, increasing 2.3 percent in 2015 with particularly steep rises in pork prices. Moderate inflation can be a boon to consumption as it pushes buyers to act before prices go up, while falling prices encourage shoppers to delay purchases and companies to put off investment, both of which can hurt growth. China is crucial to the global economy and concerns over slowing growth and Beijings management of the economy sent jitters through stock markets around the world this week.