China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, recorded a narrower year-on-year decline in March, while the core CPI, which excludes food and energy, experienced a notable rebound, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Thursday.
Statistics issued by the NBS showed that in March, CPI fell by 0.4 percent month-on-month and decreased by 0.1 percent compared to the same period last year, with a significant narrowing of the decline.
This rebound in the core CPI reflects the emerging impact of policies aimed at stimulating consumer demand. Improved dynamics between supply and demand are driving positive price trends, signaling potential stabilization in the market. With warmer weather in March, fresh food products entered the market in abundance, ensuring a plentiful supply. Month-on-month, the prices of fresh vegetables, pork, eggs, and fruits all experienced declines.
As a result of fewer travelers during the tourism off-season, travel-related expenses have declined. Additionally, the continued drop in global oil prices has led to a noticeable month-on-month reduction in domestic gasoline costs.
Meanwhile, trade-in policies for consumer goods are starting to show results, contributing to a broader rise in the prices of industrial consumer goods. Items such as household appliances, gold jewelry, and clothing experienced monthly price increases that surpassed the decade-long average for the same period.
From a year-on-year perspective, the year-on-year decline in the CPI significantly narrowed. In particular, the core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, saw a notable rebound with a 0.5 percent increase year-on-year.
"With the recovery of real estate market in some popular cities, prices for housing have also stabilized to some extent. Driven by policies aimed at boosting consumption, sales of key products such as smartphones, automobiles, and household appliances have been robust, and prices have recovered," said He Xiaoying, deputy head, analysis and prediction division, Price Monitoring Center, National Development and Reform Commission.
China’s core CPI picks up in March
China’s core CPI picks up in March
China's waterway passenger traffic during the five-day May Day holiday is projected to reach 7.75 million trips, more than 11 percent higher year on year as sailing continue to gain popularity as a holiday activity in recent years.
The holiday, celebrated annually from May 1-5, is one of China's busiest travel and leisure periods, as people across the country take advantage of the time off to relax, travel and seek out entertaining activities.
Nighttime sightseeing tours are already seeing significant growth this holiday period, with riverfront cities like Liuzhou, Guangzhou, and Ningbo reporting heightened interest.
In Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Liujiang River -- dubbed the "Hundred-Mile Liujiang" for its scenic waterfront -- is expected to attract 38,400 night cruise passengers during the holiday.
"It feels so comfortable and pleasant in this gentle breeze," said a passenger aboard a river ship.
Guangdong Province's Pearl River cruises have sold tickets for over 900 trips that will take place during the five-day holiday, serving more than 150,000 passengers. To enhance tourism appeal, operators introduced combo tickets bundling daytime river tours with visits to the Guangdong Provincial Museum.
Meanwhile, eco-friendly electric vessels, praised for reduced noise and emissions, dominated the night cruise fleet in the provincial capital of Guangzhou.
In preparation for increased passenger flows, maritime authorities prioritized safety checks on new-energy ships, including inspections of battery systems and crew training.
"We focused on conducting a safety hazard inspection of the battery power equipment of new energy ships and strengthened the inspection of the crew's operation ability of the battery power equipment," said Yao Zhi, vice-captain of the Xihe maritime patrol enforcement brigade under the Neigang Maritime Safety Administration in Guangzhou.
In Ningbo, another coastal city in east China's Zhejiang Province, the estuary of the Yuyao, Fenghua and Yong Rivers has been designated as the starting point of the "Three Rivers Night Tour" route, offering views of the city's bridges and waterfront landmarks.
Local officials implemented real-time monitoring of cruise operations to ensure safety.
"By setting a night cruise ship live monitoring special channel, we provide full-process safety protection for passengers from the moment they board the ship until they all disembark. We focus on conducting full coverage inspections of vessels in the waters around passing passenger ships," said Zhao Houyong, vice-captain of the Jiangxia maritime patrol enforcement brigade of the Sanjiangkou Maritime Safety Administration in Ningbo.
China's waterway to handle over 7.7 mln passenger trips in May Day holiday
