China's industrial growth slumps to weakest rate in over 17 years

Interest rate cuts may be necessary on top of central bank's recent move to ease lending restrictions

Growth in China's industrial production slumped last month to its weakest rate in more than 17 years as US import tariffs and softening domestic demand took their toll on factory owners.

Measures of retail sales and investment also reinforced concerns that the world's second largest economy would need to make further cuts to interest rates to boost growth after moves last week by its central bank to ease lending restrictions were criticised by some analysts as "too little, too late".

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