China’s consumer prices fell more than expected in August while deflation in factory-gate prices persisted, as calls mounted for Beijing to ramp up measures to bolster sluggish domestic demand and cushion weakening exports growth. The consumer price index dipped 0.4% last month from a year earlier, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Wednesday, compared with Reuters-polled economists’ forecast for a 0.2% contraction. The gauge on consumer inflation was flat compared to the previous month, despite many economists’ expectation for a modest recovery. The producer price index dropped 2.9% in ... (full story)