Chinese Imports Shrink In Sign Of Economic Slowing

An investor reacts in front of an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. (file photo)

China's imports shrank in August in a new sign its economic downturn might be worsening while export growth was weak due to poor global demand.

Fresh data show imports shrinking 2.6 percent from a year earlier.

That came on top of earlier data that showed August factory output had fallen to a three-year low.

Chinese exports, meanwhile, rose 2.7 percent over a year ago, down sharply from double-digit growth of recent years as Europe's debt woes and a sluggish U.S. recovery hurt demand for Chinese goods.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters