The Finance Ministry on Wednesday upgraded its quarterly assessment of regional economies for the first time in a year, noting sporadic signs of recovery in production backed by exports of digital gadgets and cars.
"There are signs of a rebound in the regions," says the ministry's report summarizing assessments made by its 11 regional bureau chiefs. The previous report said the regional economies were "generally leveling off."
The latest report says some regions suffered from a cold summer, which hurt personal spending for summer clothes and household appliances such as air conditioners. Employment remained severe in many areas, the report says.