China's Business Climate Index up in Fourth Quarter

China's business climate index, a major measurement of macro-economic outlook, rose 6.2 points in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday.

The quarterly business climate index climbed from 124.4 in the third quarter to 130.6 in the fourth quarter, the NBS said.

The index ranges from zero to 200. A reading above 100 shows economic expansion, while a reading below 100 indicates contraction. The survey began in 1998.

The index for the industrial sector rose 7.6 points to 128.1 in he fourth quarter. For the first time since 2008, all the industrial sectors reported business climate index above 100, which indicated expansion, said the NBS.

The tertiary sector climate index dropped 5.1 points from the third quarter to 119 in the fourth quarter.

The entrepreneur confidence index, a gauge of the views and projections of business people, rose 7.6 points from the third quarter to 127.7 in the fourth.

The index is still 12.9 points lower than the peak in the first quarter of 2008.