China's building materials sector remains sluggish

BEIJING - China's building materials sector remained weak as government restrictions on the property market continued to weigh on it, latest statistics from the country's top economic planner indicated.

Cement output fell 0.5 percent year on year to 1.5 billion tonnes in the first eight months, in contrast to the 2.5-percent gain seen during the same period last year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on its website.

Output of flat glass gained 5.6 percent, up 3 percentage points from the growth in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, compared with a month earlier, the factory price of cement edged down 0.9 percent in August.

The data came as the property sector, a major consumer of cement and flat glass, has stagnated in major cities due to government moves to prevent speculation.

Official data showed China's property investment rose 7.9 percent year on year in January-August, unchanged from the growth in the first seven months.