(Yicai) June 16 -- China's key indicator for consumer spending accelerated in May, while growth in industrial production and fixed-asset investment slowed amid uncertainties in the global environment.

Total retail sales of consumer goods reached CNY4.1 trillion (USD570.7 billion), up 6.4 percent year-on-year following a 5.1 percent increase in April, the National Bureau of Statistics announced today.

NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui attributed the faster growth to several factors, including the consumer goods trade-in policy, the early launch of June 18 e-commerce promotions, and increased cultural and tourism spending during the Labor Day holiday in early May.

During the five-day holiday, domestic trips totaled 314 million, up 6.4 percent year-on-year, while tourists spent CNY180.3 billion (USD25.1 billion), an increase of 8 percent, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

In contrast, industrial output grew at a slower pace. The added value of large industrial enterprises rose 5.8 percent in May from a year earlier, compared with 6.1 percent growth in April.

Some sectors showed stronger performance, including high-end manufacturing, the digital economy, and new energy. The added value of high-tech manufacturing surged 8.6 percent, while digital product manufacturing jumped 9.1 percent. Output of new energy vehicles and solar cells rose by 32 percent and 28 percent, respectively, Fu said.

From January to May, China’s fixed-asset investment totaled CNY19.2 trillion (USD2.7 trillion), up 3.7 percent year-on-year, compared with 4 percent in the first four months.

Key growth drivers included infrastructure investment, which rose 5.6 percent, and manufacturing investment, which climbed 8.5 percent. However, real estate development investment fell by 10.7 percent. Excluding that sector, overall fixed-asset investment would have increased by 7.7 percent.

Fu noted that policy support has helped stabilize the real estate market this year. From January to May, the sales area and transaction volume of new houses fell by 2.9 percent and 3.8 percent year-on-year, respectively -- roughly the same as in the first four months. Meanwhile, some first- and second-tier cities continued to see growth.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine