BEIJING, May 11 (Reuters) – China’s annual consumer
inflation moderated in April despite strong food price rises,
data on Friday showed, potentially giving Beijing more scope to
loosen policy to help the economy rebound from a first-quarter
slowdown in growth.

The data comes ahead of the monthly industrial production
report due at 0530 GMT, which will be closely watched after
disappointing trade numbers on Thursday heightened jitters about
a slowdown in the global economy.

BEIJING, May 10 (Reuters) – China’s central bank warned of
continued risks of inflation while pledging to increase two-way
flexibility in its yuan exchange rate in a report released on
Thursday.

The quarterly report came ahead of April’s data release on
Friday, which is expected to show overall inflation moderating
while food prices, particularly vegetables, continued to rise.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng remained largely out of contact in a Beijing hospital on Sunday as diplomats kept up contacts with authorities over how he might leave China and travel to study in the United States.

Chen arrived at the Chaoyang Hospital last week from the U.S. embassy, where he had taken refuge after a dramatic escape from 19 months under house arrest in his home village.

BEIJING, May 4 (Reuters) – Creditor banks are taking legal
action to freeze the assets of Dalian Shide Group, a
plastics-to-property conglomerate founded by a close business
ally of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, Chinese
publications reported this week.

The lawsuits are one of the first signs of economic fallout
from Bo’s ouster in China’s largest political scandal in
decades. Reuters reported this week that Bo’s political
stronghold, Chongqing, is hoping to sell distressed property
assets and shore up its finances.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s services sector enjoyed its busiest month in half a year in April, with business expectations at their highest level in 12 months, a private sector survey of purchasing managers showed on Friday.

The seasonally adjusted HSBC China Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to 54.1 in April from 53.3 in March, its strongest reading since October 2011, and followed an uptick in HSBC’s manufacturing PMI released earlier this week.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s services sector enjoyed its busiest month in half a year in April with business expectations at their highest level in 12 months, a private sector survey of purchasing managers showed on Friday.

The seasonally adjusted HSBC China Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to 54.1 in April from 53.3 in March, its strongest reading since October 2011, and followed an uptick in HSBC’s manufacturing PMI released earlier this week.

BEIJING, May 2 (Reuters) – China’s manufacturing sector
showed fresh signs of bottoming out in April, with export orders
ticking up, but activity still contracted for a sixth
consecutive month, according to a private sector survey on
Wednesday.

“The seasonal rebound this year was much weaker than that in
the past, suggesting growth momentum remains soft,” Barclay’s
Capital analyst Yiping Huang said in a note to clients.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s manufacturing sector shrank for the sixth month running in April, according to a survey on Wednesday that showed a continued divergence between China’s larger, predominantly state-owned enterprises and smaller, private firms.

The HSBC China Purchasing Managers’ Index, geared to smaller firms, improved to 49.3 in April from 48.3 in March, but remained below the threshold of 50 that divides expansion from contraction. Still, it showed that the rate of deterioration had slowed following a difficult first quarter when economic growth hit its slowest pace in nearly three years.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to a 13-month high in April, signaling the economy has found a footing and may be recovering from a first-quarter trough, but smaller factories are still struggling.

The pick-up in the PMI to 53.3 from 53.1 in March indicated a further expansion in the vast factory sector, although it was slightly below market expectations of 53.6. Readings above 50 signal expansion while those below 50 point to contraction.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to a 13-month high in April, signaling the economy has found a footing and may be quietly recovering from a first-quarter trough, but smaller factories are still struggling.

The pick-up in the PMI to 53.3 from 53.1 in March indicated a further expansion in the vast factory sector, although it was slightly below market expectations of 53.6. Readings above 50 signal expansion while those below 50 point to contraction.