Government Figures Show a Cooling Chinese Economy.

HONG KONG -- In the latest signs that the Chinese economy is beginning to cool after setting a torrid pace in the first half of this year, several government indicators slowed slightly last month, Beijing announced Wednesday morning. The July indicators, for industrial output, retail sales, fixed asset investment and bank lending, all provided a fairly consistent snapshot of a country where economic growth remains the strongest in the world, but where the nearly manic spending of the last few months is starting to fade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]