China''''s Consumer Prices up 1.3% in August

China's consumer prices were up 1.3% in August over a year ago, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on September 11.     

More Updates on Price

Fixed-asset investment prices:8.6% 1' Prices indices of fixed-asset investment rose 8.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter,said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on April 23.This NBS report represents for the first time that fixed-asset investment prices indices were re- ported on a quarterly basis;previously,the index was calculated once a year. Driven by rises of building material prices and labor costs,the cost of construction and in- stallation engineering,which represents about 60 percent of total expenditures on fixed assets,went up 12.4 percent.     

Soaring Grain Prices Raise Global Concerns

Grain prices often dominate all other product prices,and an increase in their price is usually considered as a prelude to inflation.The three fairly serious inflations,in 1985,1988-1989,and 1993-1995 respectively,were all preceded by grain price hikes.Furthermore,the money supply surged in the preceding year or during the same year in which these inflations occurred.This year has witnessed the same symptoms. High grain prices,which still have a possibility to go up further,have attracted wide attention across the world,including in China.As early as the end of last year,the State Council issued a circular that mandated the stabilization of grain prices in order to strictly crack down on illegal actions such as dishonest merchants driving up grain prices.One time,five State-level Departments led by National Development and Reform Commission,released an urgent announcement in order to safeguard the stability of grain prices in the domestic market.Wu Xiaoling,Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China,said that the negative influences exerted on other product prices by the rise in global grain price should not be ignored.According to Wu,the People's Bank of China will continue to closely watch the price changes. From a global and comprehensive viewpoint,the article analyzes the features of the recent grain price hike and the reasons for its dramatic rise,as well as,the impact it will have on the global economy.     

AUTO

China imports 50% more autos in first 7 months China's auto import grew faster in the first seven months of this year, as world auto giants turned to the Chinese market after the U.S. economic slump and rocketing oil prices drove sales down on U.S. and European markets, the General Administration of Customs said on August 24. Domestic demand for large-engine vehicles also strengthened as many people bought in advance of a consumption tax hike that is due to take effective on September 1.     

Figure

CPI:1.5%↑in Jan. China's consumer price index(CPI), a main gauge of inflation,rose 1.5 percent year on year in January 2010,the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) announced on February 11. Food prices went up 3.7 percent last month year on year,with non-food prices edging up 0.5 percent from a year earlier.The figure advanced 0.6 percent in November 2009,ending nine months of decline.     

More updates on Price

Prices indices of fixed-asset investment rose 8.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter,said the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） on April 23.This NBS report represents for the first time that fixed-asset investment prices indices were reported on a quarterly basis;previously,the index was calculated once a year.     

Auto Production, Sales up 25% in 1st 8 Months

China's automobile production and sales both shot up 25% in the first eight months of the year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on September 8. The country produced 4.64 million vehicles between January and August, an increase of 25.37%.     

CONSTRUCTION

China's factory, construction spending up 27.3% China's spending on real estate and other fixed urban assets rose 27.3% in the first seven months of the year compared with the same period a year ago, the National Sta- tistics Bureau reported on August 15. The spending accelerated amid re- construction of areas devastated by May's earthquake. The bureau said investment in construction, factory equipment and other such assets totaled RMB 7.2 tril- lion (US＄1.1 trillion) in January-July. The growth rate was greater than the 26.8% rise in property and asset investment in the first half of the year. Regulators have repeatedly raised in-     

China＇s Trade Surplus Hits New High

China＇s automobile production and sales both shot up 25% in the first eight months of the year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on September 8. The country produced 4.64 million vehicles between January and August, an increase of 25.37%.     

China＇s industrial output grew 5.1↑in Q1

China＇s industrial output grew 5.1 percent year on year in the first quarter, down 11.3 percentage points from the first quarter of 2008, the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） said on April 16.     

Bi-Weely Watch

CPI:4.4%↑in October Surging food prices pushed up China's consumer price index(CPI),a major gauge of inflation,to a 25-month high of 4.4 percent in October,the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) said on November 11.     

Industrial value-added output： 13.9%↑ in August

China＇s industrial value-added
output growth accelerated to 13.9 percent year on year in August from July＇s 13.4 percent growth, the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） said on September 11.     

Decline of US Investment in China Should Not Be a Trend

At the routine press conference of the Ministry of Commerce ,(MOFCOM)on May 17, it was released that the investment from the US to China from January to April witnessed decline.During the period, 475 companies were set up, down by 3.85% year on year and the real investment amount was US$1028 million, decreased by 28% year on year. On June 15, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) officially released the utilization of foreign investment in China from January to May in 2011.According to Yao Jian, the spokesman of MOFCOM, the investment from US to China from Januaryto May continued to be in decline, with the total investment for the past five months in 2011 as USS1285 million, down by 24.12% year on year.In contrast, in the same period, the investment from ten Asian countries (regions) including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea reached US$41,236 billion, an increase of 29.28% year on year, and the investment from 27 EU countries amounted to US$2,929 billion, an increase of 9.02% from the previous year.     

Retail sales:23.2％↑

Domestic retail sales kept the growing momentum in previ- ous months and registered an increase of 23.2 percent in August, said the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS)on September 12. The growth rate was 6.2 percentage points higher than the same period last year and 0.1 percentage points lower than the pre- vious month.The August retail sales totaled RMB 876.8 billion (US＄128.9 billion).     

Industrial output： 10.8% ↑ in July

China＇s industrial output rose 10.8 percent in July from a year earlier, after gaining 10.7 percent in June, the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） said on August 11.     

Bi-Weekly Watch

CPI： 1.2%1, PPI： 7.9% in August
China＇s consumer price index （CPI）, a major gauge of inflation, dipped 1.2 percent in August from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics （NBS） said on September 11.     

MACRO ECONOMY

China's retail sales up 23.3% in July Domestic retail sales leaped a brisk 23.3% to RMB 862.9 bil- lion (US＄125.8 billion) in July this year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The growth rate was 6.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year and 0.3 percentage points higher than the previous month. That brings ChinKs retail sales of consumer goods in the first seven months of this year to RMB 5.9672 trillion, up 21.7%, compared with 15.5% growth rate recorded over the same period of last year, the NBS said.     

China's Export Food Safety Guaranteed

China is a large importer and exporter of foodstuffs, with the amount of each growing steadily in recent years.Statistics released by the State Council in this August show that the import and export volume in 2006 totaled US＄40.448 billion-worth (excluding wheat,corn and soybean, same below),up 21.45% year on year.(See Figure 1)     

Peanut export：9%↑in H1

China＇s exports of peanuts rose 9 percent year on year in the first half of this year, but the total export value fell because of lower prices paid for the commodity, an official said on July 29.     

China''''s Export Food Safety Guaranteed

China is a large importer and exporter of foodstuffs,with the amount of each growing steadily in recent years.Statistics released by the State Council in this August show that the import and export volume in 2006 totaled US＄40.448 billion-worth(excluding wheat,com and soybean,same below),up 21.45% year on year.(See Figure 1)