China Shows Weaker Start to 2013 as U.S. Strengthens: Economy

China’s industrial output had the weakest start to a year since 2009 and lending and retail sales growth slowed, underscoring challenges for a new leadership that wants to narrow the gap between rich and poor.

Production increased 9.9 percent in the first two months and retail sales rose 12.3 percent, government data showed March 9, trailing economists’ estimates. New local-currency loans in February fell to 620 billion yuan ($99.6 billion), the People’s Bank of China said yesterday, lower than the estimates of 27 out of 28 analysts in a Bloomberg News survey.