In the first quarter of the current year China's business climate index was at 125.6 points, up 1.2 points compared to the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics on April 15. The first quarter reading marks a recovery for the second quarter in a row, following the declines recorded in the second and third quarters last year, all on quarter-on-quarter basis. The sub-indexes representing Chinese enterprises expectations of current operations and of future operations stood at 119.0 and 129.9 respectively in the first quarter, down 5.1 points and up 5.3 points, both compared to the fourth quarter of 2012.
The index ranges from zero to 200. A reading of 100 separates contraction from expansion.