BEIJING, September 14 (InfoChina) -- After a record growth in June, China’s industrial output has slowed slightly, according to statistics released here on September 13 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The industrial output in August rose 15.7% year-on-year to 735.6 billion yuan. The growth rate is 1 percentage point lower than July and 3.8 percentage points lower than the June figure, the highwater mark of the past ten years.

   An NBS statement said the slower growth over the last two months has taken the wind out of the previous headlong momentum. In April and May, the growth rate was 16.6% and 17.9% respectively.

   Statistics show that raw coal output rose 10.3% year-on-year to 174 million tons while steel grew 16.6% to 38.97 million tons.

   Automobile output surged 13.3% to 534,000 units. Sedans accounted for 295,000 units, up 17,1% year-on-year.

   Crude oil output remained unchanged in comparison with last August at 15.54 million tons.

   Electricity generated climbed 16.4% to 257.1 billion kwh.

   The fastest-growing industrial sector was telecommunications and computers, up 19.8%. Transportation equipment manufacturing followed with a growth rate of 17.4%.