China Sees 25.7 Percent Investment Jump

BEIJING — China's investment in factories, real estate and other urban assets rose 25.7 percent in the first three quarters of this year from the same period last year, a central bank official said Sunday, despite curbs meant to prevent runaway spending.

The government is trying to rein in investment in real estate and industries including autos and textiles to control soaring housing prices and head off overspending that Chinese leaders worry could ignite a financial crisis. But the flood of money pouring in from China's exports has made it difficult to contain investment.

Wu Xiaoling, vice governor of the People's Bank of China, said the investment growth rate was still very high.

In a statement on the bank's Web site, Wu also said that retail sales were up 15.9 percent in the first nine months of the year compared with the year-earlier period.

The consumer price index in September was 6.2 percent higher than the same month a year earlier.

The same figure was given by another government official last week. China's National Bureau of Statistics is expected to release official third-quarter economic data Thursday.

The central bank has already said it expects inflation for the year to exceed the government's 3 percent target.

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