Developing services sector shores up country's broad economic recovery

BEIJING — From cinemas to restaurants, China's service sector has bounced back this year from a pandemic-induced downturn and is playing a greater role in sustaining the economy's broader recovery.

The country's service production index rose 6.8 percent year-on-year in August, increasing from 5.7 percent in the previous month, said the National Bureau of Statistics. Retail sales in services surged 19.4 percent year-on-year in the first eight months.

"The development of the services sector has emerged as an important bright spot in economic performance this year," NBS spokesman Fu Linghui said.