Property prices in China fell at a record pace in February, underscoring the slowdown in the world's second largest economy.

Prices fell 5.7 per cent year-on-year last month, based on calculations by Reuters from official data published by China's National Bureau of Statistics. In January, they had deflated at a pace of 5.1 per cent.

Prices have cooled in recent months as the economy slows. Over the weekend Chinese policymakers set out a new GDP growth target of "around 7 per cent" this year, but Premier Li Keqiang admitted "it will by no means be easy for us to reach this target." Many mid-sized Chinese cities also suffer from a glut of supply.

Prices fell in 69 of the 70 cities tracked. In Beijing they fell 3.6 per cent year-on-year, versus a 3.2 per cent in January. In Shanghai prices slipped 4.7 per cent, from 4.2 per cent in January.

中国2月房价跌幅达到创纪录水平，突显这个全球第二大经济体增速放缓。

根据路透社(Reuters)对中国国家统计局(NBS)公布的官方数据的计算，中国2月房价同比下跌5.7%。1月跌幅为5.1%。

由于中国经济放缓，近月来房价一直在降温。上周末，中国政策制定者将今年的国内生产总值(GDP)增速目标确定为“7%左右”，但国务院总理李克强承认，“要实现目标并不容易”。中国很多中等城市还出现供应过剩问题。

在国家统计局跟踪的70个大中城市中，有69个城市的房价2月同比下跌。北京房价同比下跌3.6%，1月跌幅为3.2%。上海房价同比下跌4.7%，1月跌幅为4.2%。

译者/梁艳裳