China Delays Release of Economic Data

As China’s ruling elite gathered for the twice-a-decade Communist Party congress, the country’s National Bureau of Statistics opted to delay indefinitely the release of economic data that had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, without an explanation.

The data was expected to include closely watched numbers for economic growth from July to September, which had been expected to show continued lackluster performance. The General Administration of Customs has also delayed indefinitely the release of export and import statistics for September.

Large countries seldom postpone the release of even a single economic statistic for fear of hurting financial confidence. After the close of trading on Chinese stock exchanges on Monday afternoon, the National Bureau of Statistics cancelled its quarterly news conference, which had been scheduled for Tuesday morning