CHINA’S consumer inflation extended its moderate recovery in April, supported by robust spring travel demand and rising energy prices, in a sign that domestic demand continues to improve and the broader economic recovery remains on track. The country’s consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 1.2 per cent year on year in April, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.
The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, also increased 1.2 per cent from a year earlier, data showed.
On a monthly basis, the CPI climbed 0.3 per cent in April, reversing a 0.7-per-cent decline in March and exceeding the seasonal level by 0.4 percentage points.
Dong Lijuan, an NBS statistician, attributed the increase partly to stronger travel demand during the Qingming Festival holiday, the May Day holiday, and spring breaks in some regions, citing a 3.7 per cent year-on-year rise in travel-related service prices last month. Meanwhile, prices of industrial consumer goods rose 3.5 per cent, with gasoline and gold jewellery recording particularly notable increases, Dong said. — Xinhua