China’s consumer inflation rose less than expected in January while the deflation in producer prices persisted, in a sign of continued deflationary pressure in the absence of stronger stimulus. The consumer price index rose 0.2% in January from a year earlier, China’s National Bureau of Statistics data showed on Wednesday, below economists’ forecast of 0.4% increase in a Reuters poll. That followed a 0.8% growth in December, its highest level in nearly three years. Prices rose 0.2% month-on-month, below economists’ forecast of a 0.3% increase. China’s producer price index declined 1.4% from a year ago, better than ... (full story)