Growth in China's factory output, investment and retail sales were all weaker than expected in July, adding pressure on Beijing to roll out more measures to prevent a deeper slowdown, days after it shocked markets by devaluing its currency.

While the central bank insisted on Wednesday it would not let the yuan slide too far, the devaluation came days after data showed a hefty drop in exports and producer prices, which clearly weighed on Chinese manufacturers last month.

Nearly all data released for July was weaker than economists had forecast, pointing to further deterioration in the world's second-largest economy. Data for June had fuelled some hopes that activity was stabilising after policymakers unleashed the biggest burst of stimulus since the global financial crisis.

"This kind of data will only accentuate the negative outlook that everyone has about the economy," said Louis Kuijs, China economist at Royal Bank of Scotland in Hong Kong.

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Reuters