China's industrial production and fixed asset investment growth accelerated more-than-expected at the start of the year, while retail sales grew at a slower pace from a year ago, according to rttnews.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that industrial production climbed 6.3 percent in January to February from the same period of last year, faster than the 6.0 percent increase seen in December and the 6.2 percent rise economists had forecast.

A similar faster growth was last seen in August 2016. Data for the first two months of the year are combined to even out the impact of the Lunar New Year holiday.