China to release key data early to avoid leaks

China will release its politically sensitive inflation data on Saturday -- six days ahead of schedule -- to avoid the figures being leaked to the public, the government said Thursday. The consumer price index and producer price index, along with a raft of other key economic data for June, the second quarter and first half of the year, were originally due to be released on July 15. The National Bureau of Statistics said it wants to release the figures "within 24 hours of their compilation" to avoid the potentially market-moving information being announced ahead of time. "Reducing the time gap between the compilation of the figures and their release will help lower the risks of them being leaked before the announcement," the NBS said in a statement. Authorities have also reduced the number of people who have access to the "confidential information", it added. Figures for gross domestic product, industrial production, fixed-asset investment and retail sales will be released Wednesday, two days ahead of schedule, the NBS said. The announcement comes as Chinese authorities are investigating several officials at key economic departments, including the NBS and central bank, for possibly leaking government data. Investigators have in recent months taken away Wu Chaoming, a researcher at the central bank, and an assistant to a section chief at the NBS surnamed Sun, state media reported previously. The cases highlight the intense secrecy with which China's ruling Communist Party treats even economic data. Wu is suspected of supplying government economic data to securities firms before the information was officially announced for personal gain, the reports said. As the world's second largest economy and key driver of global growth, China's statistics are closely monitored by investment banks and governments around the world and often trigger moves in financial markets.