Industrial output to 'pick up' very soon

China's industrial output growth will pick up pace in the second half of this year and is expected to grow more than 10 percent then, as the government's economic stimulus continues to take effect, the country's industry watchdog said in a report yesterday.

The pace of the industrial output growth in the second quarter is expected to be quicker than that in the first quarter, as the slumping industrial production in the first four months has been reversed, the report said.

In order to maintain steady industrial production, the government must stimulate domestic demand, said the report, which was jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).