This week in China, data revealed some moderation in the region’s economic momentum. Factory output grew 4.5% year on year in July, down from 5.3% in June. Compounding this, consumers also kept their purses firmly in their pockets, with retail sales growing by just 0.6%, compared with 1% in June. The significance of the data is being treated with some caution, with markets reluctant to interpret it too negatively at this stage.