China's economy shows signs of strength

China’s economy is showing fresh signs of strength, from increased business confidence to an expansionary factory gauge reading, according to the earliest private indicators for September. Bloomberg reports most private gauges showed improvement and a proxy for factory activity jumped to the strongest level in almost two years, suggesting better readings in August data have been followed up this month. A steady flow of credit has boosted property sales, helping offset sluggish exports and continued weakness in private investment. Standard Chartered’s Small and Medium Enterprises Confidence Index rose to 56 this month from 54.9 in August. Sales and production recovered from weather-related disruptions, even as the investment appetite remained muted, Shen Lan, a Beijing-based China economist, wrote in a report.