Growth strong, to support reforms this year

China's factories and services both closed out 2016 on relatively robust notes that signal growth is strong enough for policymakers to keep pushing for economic reforms this year.

The manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index stabilized near a post-2012 high in December, edging down to 51.4 from 51.7 the prior month.

The non-manufacturing PMI slipped to 54.5 from a two-year high of 54.7 in November.