China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, was up 0.2 percent year on year in November, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

The figure was down from the 0.3-percent increase registered in October, largely due to slower food price rises, said NBS chief statistician Dong Lijuan.

The national average temperature in November was the highest for any comparable period since 1961, which supported production and transportation of agricultural goods, helping bring fresh food prices down, Dong said in a statement.

The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.3 percent from a year ago in November, up from 0.2 percent in October.

On a monthly basis, the CPI slipped 0.6 percent in November, following a 0.3-percent decrease in October.

The world's second-largest economy is bracing for a possible new round of tariffs from a second Donald Trump White House while dealing with other headwinds, suggesting more policy stimulus could be needed to shore up growth. (Xinhua/Reuters)