China's business climate index drops in Q4

BEIJING - China's business climate index, a major gauge of the country's macroeconomic outlook, dropped in the fourth quarter, according to data released on Monday.

The index was 119.5 points for the fourth quarter, down two points from the previous quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement.

The figure continued to stay above 100 points, indicating that Chinese enterprises were still operating in an upbeat climate, the statement said.

The index ranges from zero to 200 points, with a reading of more than 100 indicating a sound and optimistic climate, while a reading below 100 is a sign of a pessimistic business environment.

The index surveys around 21,000 industrial enterprises.

The information transaction, software and IT service sector reported the most optimistic business climate score of 136.7 points, though 1.1 points lower than the third quarter.

Only one sector reported a business climate rating below 100. It was the hospitality sector, according to the statement.

The index for industrial firms in China's central areas was higher than in the eastern or western regions. The index stood at 122.3 in the central, 120.1 in the eastern, and 114.1 in the western regions.

The indices for large, medium-sized and small enterprises were 134.2, 121 and 109 points respectively. All indices dropped from the third quarter of the year, the statement said.

On Monday, the NBS also released other key economic figures. The country's gross domestic product grew 7.7 percent in 2013, beating the full-year target of 7.5 percent.