CHINA

Inflation Nearly Double ’94 Target: The National Information Center put the country’s annual inflation this year at 18.8%, against an official target of 10%, and said that authorities should consider raising interest rates. The China Securities News quoted the agency, part of the State Planning Commission, as saying that, after having fallen in the first four months, inflation started to rise again in May. Official figures show that annual inflation in the first half of 1994 was 19% over the same 1993 period. Inflation for all of 1993 was 13% over that of 1992. The center said inflation would continue at a high level in the second half.