China consumer inflation hits three-year high as producer deflation eases

China’s consumer inflation recorded the biggest jump in more than three years, as an extended holiday bolstered spending while deflation in factory-gate prices moderated. The consumer price index rose 1.3% in February from a year earlier, China’s National Bureau of Statistics data showed Monday, beating economists’ forecast for a 0.8% increase in a Reuters poll. The increase followed a 0.2% growth in January, marking the strongest rebound since January 2023, according to LSEG data. Prices rose 1% month on month, above economists’ expectations for a 0.5% rise. China’s producer price index slumped 0.9% from a year ago, better than economists’…