China service sector slows to 5-month low

Beijing

ACTIVITY in China's services sector slowed to its lowest in five months in June, a private survey showed on Friday, suggesting the economy still needs further policy support despite some signs of steadying.

Beijing has rolled out a suite of measures since last year, including interest rate cuts, to prop up growth, but economists worry that persistent weakness in exports and the property sector combined with high local government debt will keep the world's second-largest economy under pressure.