China removes statistics that ‘no longer reflect the reality’

ISTANBUL

China said Thursday that economic statistical measures that “no longer reflect the reality” have been revised and eliminated.

“New indicators that speak to the high-quality development of the economy have been added and at the same time some statistical indicators that no longer reflect the reality have been adjusted and removed,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry.

Wang was responding to an announcement by the National Statistical Bureau (NSB) that it will suspend releasing unemployment figures for those aged between 16 and 24.

“This is what often happens when the statistical work is being improved,” said Wang.

Amid a bulging youth unemployment rate at 21.3% in June, the NSB said Tuesday that Beijing will suspend the release of figures while stressing the need to “further improve and optimize labor force survey statistics.”

“Starting from this August, the release of urban unemployment rates for youth and other age groups across the country will be suspended,” NBS spokesman Fu Linghui said at a news conference.

But Wang said China was “open and transparent about its economic data.”

“We have kept releasing various statistical data, which is highly recognized by parties including international organizations,” he told reporters in Beijing. “We have released more statistical data and promptly added indicators that people need to know.”