China's economy showed mixed signals in August, with industrial output rising by 4.5% year-on-year, down from 5.1% in July, and retail sales increasing by 2.1%, also slower than the previous month's 2.7% growth. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that fixed asset investment grew by 3.4% from January to August. Despite these gains, the economy faces challenges, including weak consumer demand and deflationary pressures, prompting calls for more robust stimulus measures. Thermal power generation rose by 3.7%, reversing a three-month decline, while hydropower output growth slowed. The uneven economic recovery has led some global brokerages to lower their growth forecasts for China below the government's target of around 5%.