China's industrial production slows in August(2)

Jiang also pointed to destocking pressure and a high comparative base last year.

Saturday's data came as China's leadership assured global CEOs that China can meet its major economic goals this year and policymakers will not be distracted by minor fluctuations.

Premier Li Keqiang downplayed the importance of some economic data from the past two months when delivering his keynote speech to the 2014 Summer Davos on Wednesday in Tianjin.

"The government will not be distracted by short-term fluctuations of individual indicators." Li said, referring to recent slower growth in power consumption and freight volume.

China has a GDP growth target of around 7.5 percent and a consumer price index (CPI) increase target of about 3.5 percent for 2014, with 10 million more urban jobs to keep the urban unemployment rate at a maximum of 4.6 percent.

In the first half of the year, the GDP expanded 7.4 percent with a slightly stronger second quarter, while the rise in CPI stayed at 2.3 percent.

Yet the leadership seemed more concerned with the resilience of the economy, strengthened in part by a steadily expanding job market and better economic structure.

In the first eight months, more than 9.7 million urban jobs were created, 100,000 more than during the same period last year, the premier noted in the speech.

The government also introduced a raft of targeted "mini-stimulus" measures this year to boost sectors such as agriculture, shantytown renovation and small businesses, refraining from a strong stimulus or relaxing monetary policy.

In the latest move, the NBS on Friday announced a broader accounting regime that aims to shift officials' obsession with GDP and place more weight on environmental and social development.