China’s economy shows signs of improvement

Hong Kong: China's 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 Monday.

The report said industrial output rose 7 per cent 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 real estate sector remained sluggish, with investment in real estate falling 9% in January-February compared to the same period a year earlier. The property market is “still in a state of adjustment and transition” but policies outlined at China's annual legislative session earlier this month will promote “stable and healthy development," National Bureau of Statistics spokesperson Liu Aihua told reporters.