China's industrial firms reported higher profits at the start of the second quarter, despite a broader growth slowdown.
Marked improvements in the country's raw-material and manufacturing sectors helped drive a 24.7% on-year rise in industrial profits in April.
That compared with March's 15.8% increase, according to official data released Wednesday.
Industrial earnings grew 18.2% over January-April, versus the 15.5% rise recorded in the first quarter of the year, the National Bureau of Statistics said.
The data reflects the impact of the Middle East conflict that has disrupted global supply chains and sent energy prices soaring.
