Statistics from August give analysts grist for mill

Another month or two of slack data may prompt change, experts believe

When Premier Li Keqiang spoke at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin last Wednesday, he probably already had economic data for August, which had not yet been released, in mind. He said the government would not be distracted by short-term fluctuations in individual economic indicators and would maintain its focus on structural adjustments and dealing with long-term issues.

Three days later, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics took the market by surprise. Industrial output rose 6.9 percent year-on-year in August, the slowest pace since 2008 amid the global financial crisis and a sharp drop from 9 percent in July.