China’s electricity consumption hit a record this month after rising steadily since the start of summer, the People’s Daily reported , noting that the trend suggested a robust recovery in economic activity in Asia’s second-largest economy. Electricity consumption in the manufacturing sector has specifically posted a marked recovery since July, reversing a negative consumption trend from the first half of the year. In even better news, electricity consumption in the consumer goods production sector rose by as much as 46.1 percent during the second quarter of the year, signaling expectations of more robust consumer spending—a vital indicator of an economy’s health and conducive to higher energy demand. The data is the latest sign that China’s economy is improving steadily after the lockdowns prompted by the pandemic, and ties in with data about oil imports, which have also been rising over the past few months. There has been, however, worry […]