China’s domestic demand further weakens in July, analysts bet on extra stimulus

China’s economic imbalances continued to deepen in July, as sluggish retail sales and a fixed-asset investment slump highlighted persistent weakness in domestic demand, with analysts expecting more policy stimulus from Beijing to stave off downside risks. Retail sales, a major gauge of consumer spending, grew by 0.6 per cent year on year last month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The lacklustre reading missed a 1.3 per cent rise forecast by...