BEIJING, Nov 3 (Reuters) - China's local governments issued a net 24.1 billion yuan ($3.30 billion) in special bonds in September, the finance ministry said on Thursday, slowing from 51.6 billion yuan in August.
Local governments issued a net 96.6 billion yuan in special bonds in January-September, according to data from the ministry.
China's economy surprisingly rose 3.9% in the third quarter, but a deepening property crisis, slowing demand and strict COVID curbs are weighing on the recovery.
Policymakers are doubling down on infrastructure spending, issuing debt to fund big public works projects to shore up the economy.
Chinese policymakers on Wednesday vowed that growth was still a priority and they would press on with reforms, in an apparent bid to soothe fears that ideology could take precedence as President Xi Jinping began a new leadership term and strict COVID curbs exact a growing toll on the economy. ($1 = 7.3072 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
