China's power use up 4.5 pct in the first 11 months

China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose 4.5 percent year on year in the first 11 months of 2019, the country's top economic planner said Tuesday.

Specifically, power use by first and secondary industries increased 5.1 percent and 3.1 respectively, said Meng Wei, a spokesperson with the National Development and Reform Commission.

The tertiary industry maintained its faster year-on-year growth at 9.4 percent, according to Meng, while residential power consumption increased 5.7 percent from a year ago.

In November alone, the country's power use grew 4.7 percent year on year, retreating 0.3 percentage points from that in October, said Meng.