China's Sept industrial output up 14.1 pct -report

BEIJING, Oct 21 - China's industrial output in September probably grew by 14.1 percent from a year earlier, a central bank official was cited as saying by state media on Wednesday.

That figure, if accurate, would be at the top end of market expectations, showing that China's economic recovery has strengthened considerably after registering a 12.3 percent annual rise in industrial output in the previous month.

A Reuters poll of 18 economists produced a median forecast of 13.3 percent for September's industrial output.

The unnamed central bank official, cited in the China Securities Journal, also said that fixed-asset investment for the the first three quarters increased 33.2 percent from a year earlier. That would top the market forecast of a 33.0 percent pace.

Chinese officials have been circumspect about the solidity of the economy's recovery, but comments by Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday appeared to display greater optimism. [ID:nPEK195317]

China will publish its third-quarter GDP growth rate and other economic data for September on Thursday.