Regulators May Be Loosening Monetary Strings

China's tight-minded policymakers have taken what appear to be the first, cautious steps away toward a more relaxed monetary course.

More room for adjusting monetary and credit controls came as the nation's inflation rate declined in October: The consumer price index fell that month to 5.5 percent from 6.1 percent in September, and off a full point from a year-to-date peak in July.