China's Aug industrial output accelerates, retail sales turn up in boost to recovery

[BEIJING] China's industrial output growth accelerated in August, while retail sales expanded for the first time this year, suggesting the economic recovery is gathering pace as demand starts to improve more broadly from the coronavirus crisis.

An annual decline in fixed-asset investment over January-August also moderated due to government stimulus efforts.

After the pandemic paralysed huge swathes of the economy, China's recovery has been gaining momentum as pent-up demand, government stimulus and surprisingly resilient exports propel a rebound.

Industrial output growth quickened to 5.6 per cent in August from a year earlier, data from the National Statistics Bureau showed on Tuesday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a 5.1 per cent rise from 4.8 per cent in July.

Retail sales also rose 0.5 per cent on-year, snapping a seven-month downturn and beating analysts' forecast for zero growth. It July, sales dropped 1.1 per cent.

Consumer confidence has been picking up lately, from spending on automobiles and duty-free shopping.

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Auto sales rose 11.8 per cent in August from a year earlier while sales of telecoms products jumped 25.1 per cent year on year, the data showed.

Fixed-asset investment fell 0.3 per cent in January-August from the same period last year, compared with a forecast 0.4 per cent slide and a 1.6 per cent decline in the first seven months of the year.

Private sector fixed-asset investment, which accounts for 60 per cent of total investment, fell 2.8 per cent in January-August, compared with a 5.7 per cent decline in the first seven months of the year.

Recent economic indicators ranging from trade to producer prices and factory activity all suggested a further pick up in the industrial sector, and the broader economy.

Government stimulus has been a powerful domestic driver, while momentum has also been supported by Beijing's largely successful efforts to get the virus under control.

Data last week showed China's August exports marking the strongest annual gain since March 2019, as more of its trading partners eased coronavirus lockdowns. Factory gate prices also fell at their slowest annual pace in five months last month.

REUTERS