China's consumer prices quicken in August, PPI stuck in deflation

FILE PHOTO: People stand at a shopping mall near the CCTV headquarters and China Zun skyscraper, in Beijing's central business district (CBD), China September 7, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo

BEIJING: China's consumer prices accelerated in August to the fastest pace in half a year due to the higher costs of food from weather disruptions, while producer price deflation worsened, as Beijing maintained efforts to reinvigorate domestic demand.

A sputtering start in the second half is mounting pressure on the world's second-largest economy to roll out more policies amid a prolonged housing downturn, persistent joblessness, debt woes and rising trade tensions.