China industrial profits fall

China's industrial profits fell 0.6 per cent in August from a year earlier, reversing from July's 13.5 per cent annual rise, the government said on Saturday, the latest in a series of weak data from the world's second-largest economy. Industrial companies made profits of 3.83 trillion yuan between January and August, 10 per cent higher than the same period last year. China's National Bureau of Statistics did not give a reason for the August decline. The monthly decline adds to recent weak figures that have fueled fears that China is at risk of a sharp slowdown if it does not make fresh stimulus measures. China's factory output grew at its weakest pace in nearly six years in August while growth in other key sectors such as retail sales and imports also cooled, according to Reuters.