TOKYO -- Economic data released on Wednesday shows a contrasting picture for Asian industrial production, with Japan and China putting out upbeat figures and South Korea and Thailand logging declines.
Japan's industrial production index for April clocked in at 103.8, up 4.0% from the previous month, preliminary data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. It is the highest reading since October 2008, surpassing the recent high set in January 2014, when production rose to meet growing demand in the run-up to a consumption tax hike in April that year.
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