1. In August, the industrial output of major industrial enterprises in China with annual sales of more than RMB 5 million saw a rise of 12.3 percent year on year, down 0.5 of a percentage point compared with the growth for the same period last year and 1.5 percentage points higher month on month. In the January-August period, industrial output was up 8.1 percent, 7.6 percentage points lower than the increase rate for the first eight months of 2008.
2. In the January-August period, China's urban fixed assets investment rose 33 percent year on year to RMB 11.2985 trillion ($1.6567 trillion), up 5.6 percentage points on the increase rate for the same period last year.
3. In August, China's retail sales totaled 1.0116 trillion ($148.3 billion), up 15.4 percent year on year. The growth rate in question was up 0.2 of a percentage point compared with that registered in the previous month, and was down 7.8 percentage points compared with the same period last year. In the first eight months of this year, China's retail sales climbed 15.1 percent year on year to RMB 7.8763 trillion ($1.1549 trillion).
4. In August, China's overall consumer price index (CPI) slipped by 1.2 percent year on year, declining by 0.6 of a percentage point from the June level. In the January-August period, the CPI was down 1.2 percent year on year.
5. In August, China's producer price index (PPI) for industrial products decreased 7.9 percent from a year earlier, down 0.3 of a percentage point month on month. In the January-August period, China's PPI fell 6.4 percent year on year, up 0.2 of a percentage point compared with the decrease rate for the first seven months of this year.