China's retail sales returned to growth for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak, in the latest sign that consumer spending was catching up with the country's wider economic recovery.
Official data released on Tuesday showed a rise of 0.5 per cent in August compared with the same month a year ago. Economists had anticipated that retail sales would be flat.
Consumer demand has been a weak spot in China's recovery from the coronavirus outbreak, which has been fuelled by state-supported industrial growth at a time when households remained cautious over spending and the risk of new outbreaks.
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