China's consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, grew 1.4 percent year on year in March, the National Bureau of Statistics announced Friday.
Manufacturing activity rebounded in China during March, as factories accelerated production after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays, encouraged by further policy easing expectations.
Profits of Chinese industrial businesses hit 745.24 billion yuan in the first two months of 2015, down 4.2 percent year-on-year, official data showed on Friday.
Analysts expect first-quarter growth to dip below China's new full-year target of 7 percent - widely seen as the level needed to keep employment steady.
Foreign direct investment in Chinese mainland jumped 17 percent year on year in the first two months of 2015, settling at $22.48 billion.
Growth in China's fiscal revenue slowed sharply in the first two months of 2015 while expenditure increased, suggesting that proactive fiscal policy measures are gaining momentum.
China's economy fell to its lowest level of growth since the 2008 global financial crisis in the first two months of the year, and is still being hurt by weaker demand and excess industrial capacity.
Growth in China's investment, retail sales and factory output all missed forecasts in January and February and fell to multi-year lows.
China's fixed-asset investment rose 13.9 percent to 3.45 trillion yuan ($560.06 billion) year on year in the first two months in 2015.
Industrial output in China grew 6.8 percent year on year in the first two months of 2015, down 1.1 percentage points compared to growth for December.
China's retail sales grew 10.7 percent year on year to 4.8 trillion yuan ($779 billion) in the first two months of 2015, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.
Inflation at the consumer level rebounded more than expected last month, lifted by a surge in food prices during Spring Festival, while industrial deflation accelerated.
China's producer price index (PPI), which measures inflation at wholesale level, dropped 4.8 percent year on year in February, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.
The stronger-than-expected reading of consumer price index quickened from the 0.8-percent gain in January, the lowest level in more than five years.
China's trade rebounded in February from the previous month's surprise contraction, but imports were subdued in another sign of continued weakness in the world's second-largest economy.
A top economic planner said the 7 percent growth target set by the government could raise concerns over whether the rate can be met or a more relaxed monetary policy will be recommended.
The service sector continued to expand in February, but at a modest pace, according to an industry index released by HSBC on Wednesday.
Manufacturing activity in China is likely to have rebounded this month, HSBC Holdings Plc said on Wednesday as it released the flash estimate of the Purchasing Managers Index.
Japanese investment in China surged 46.9% in January, indicating that the world's third-largest economy continues to count on the Chinese market.
China's producer price index (PPI), which measures inflation at wholesale level, dropped 4.3 percent year on year in January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.