China signals more stimulus to boost economy

Beijing

CHINA'S leaders signalled they will take further steps to support growth, including widening the fiscal deficit and stimulating the housing market, to put a floor under the economy's slowdown.

Monetary policy must be more "flexible" and fiscal policy to be more "forceful" as leaders create "appropriate monetary conditions for structural reforms", according to statements released at the end of the government's Central Economic Work Conference by the Xinhua news agency on Monday. It said the fiscal deficit ratio should be raised gradually.