Signs of China growth reduce urgency for more stimulus

Beijing

CHINA'S leaders sound more confident that the world's second largest economy has arrested a slide in growth to quarter-century lows.

While their policy advisers caution it is still too early to call an end to a cycle of easing that began in 2014, the urgency for doing so is reduced.

Signs the economy is picking up give the central bank room to keep its policy powder dry for now so it has the ammunition later to cope with any possible shocks from domestic economic restructuring and expected US rate rises, the policy insiders said.

"We still need to loosen policy and there is room for cutting int…