Consumer inflation rises in February

Consumer inflation rose in China during February, hitting the highest level in over four years, thanks to rising food prices during the Lunar New Year holiday and low temperatures, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.

Analysts said the whole-year consumer inflation growth would be mild despite the surge in February, thus failing to pressure monetary policymakers to raise interest rates.

The Consumer Price Index increased by 2.9 percent in February from a year earlier, compared with 1.5 percent in January, the NBS said. It is the highest since November 2013, when the index rose by 3 percent year-on-year.