China’s economy shows signs of improvement, but its property sector is still in the doldrums

By ZEN SOO
AP Business Writer

HONG KONG (AP) — China has reported its manufacturing and investment improved in the first two months of the year, while weakness in the property sector weighed on the economy. The National Bureau of Statistics said industrial output rose 7% from a year earlier in January-February, better than analysts had forecast. Spending on factories and equipment, known as fixed-asset investments, rose 4.2%. The signs of strength followed moves by authorities to boost growth. The statistics bureau said retail sales climbed 5.5% and consumer prices rose for the first time since August. The consumer price index was up 0.7% in February after months of falling prices. The youth unemployment rate for those aged 16-24 was 14.6% in January.