Weak China inflation stokes fears over slowing demand

China's consumer price inflation fell to a five-month low in October, the government said Tuesday, in another sign of weak demand in the world's second-largest economy. China is a key driver of global growth but expansion slowed to its lowest rate in nearly a quarter of a century in 2014 and has continued to weaken this year. A year-on-year rise of 1.3 percent in the consumer price index (CPI) -- a main gauge of inflation -- released by the National Bureau of Statistics was the lowest since May and down sharply from 1.6 percent in September.