China's economic growth weakens amid construction slowdown

The world’s second-largest economy grew by 4.9% over a year ago in the three months ending in September, down from the previous quarter’s 7.9%

October 18, 2021 09:42 am | Updated 09:42 am IST - BEIJING

Men work at the construction site of a highrise building in Beijing, China, October 18, 2021.

Men work at the construction site of a highrise building in Beijing, China, October 18, 2021.

China’s economic growth sank in the latest quarter a a slowdown in construction and curbs on energy use weighed on its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The world’s second-largest economy grew by 4.9% over a year ago in the three months ending in September, down from the previous quarter’s 7.9%, government data showed on October 18.

Factory production, retail sales and investment in construction and other fixed assets all weakened.

Construction, an industry that supports millions of jobs, has slowed since regulators tightened control last year over borrowing by developers.

One of the biggest, Evergrande Group, is struggling to avoid defaulting on billions of dollars owed to bond holders. This has fueled fears about the health of other developers, though economists say the threat to global financial markets is small.

Manufacturing also was hampered in September by power cuts imposed by some major provinces to avoid exceeding official efficiency goals.

Private sector forecasters have cut their growth outlook this for China, though they still expect about 8%, which would be among the world’s strongest.

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