China inflation changes little in December

China's rate of inflation saw little change in December, even as the government struggled to rein in prices.

Consumer prices were up 4.1 per cent as against the same month last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This is down from the 4.2 per cent in November.

The full year inflation figure was 5.4 per cent, well above government targets.

According to analysts, while inflation remained a concern for policymakers, price growth was expected to slow down further and more quickly in 2012.

Some analysts point out that there was usually a surge in prices in the month before and after the Chinese New Year, which is due to start on 23 January.

However, they say the expectation was for price growth to continue moderating throughout 2012.