CRI听力:January Inflation Expected to Slow

A number of economists are suggesting inflation here in China may be back under 2-percent.

ICBC chief economist Lu Zhengwei is forecasting CPI for January will be at 1.8-percent.

This would be down from the 2.5-percent figure in December.

In December, vegetable prices surged 14.8 percent after the coldest month in nearly 30 years reduced supplies.

Food prices have since stabilized.

The Producer Price Index, the measure of inflation on the wholesale level, is forecast to come in at 1.7-percent in January.

Bank of Communications economist Tang Jianwei notes a higher comparative base on an annualized basis is contributing to the downtrend in inflation.

The CPI in January of last year spiked 4.5-percent.

For more on what we can expect from the January inflation figures, we now cross live to Mark Hughes, Executive business editor of China Daily.