Mainland consumer price index stays flat
China's consumer price index (CPI) remained unchanged in September compared with a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday. On a monthly basis, the CPI – a main gauge of inflation – rose 0.2 percent from the previous month. Year-on-year core inflation, excluding food and fuel prices, was 0.8 percent, in line with August. The CPI rose 0.1 percent in August. The average CPI from January to September increased 0.4 percent year on year. The producer price index (PPI), which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, fell 2.5 percent in September from a year earlier, the 12th straight month in negative territory though the pace of decline slowed from August.  On a monthly basis, the September PPI edged up 0.4 percent. "CPI inflation at zero indicates the deflationary pressure in China is still a real risk to the economy. The recovery of domestic demand is not strong, without a significant boost from fiscal support," said Zhang Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. "The damage from the property sector slowdown on consumer confidence continues to weigh on household demand." (Xinhua/Reuters)