Inflation and economic growth have slowed slightly in China as price controls have limited the cost of many essentials and exports to the United States have weakened, the Chinese government announced Wednesday.

But the latest figures, for inflation in March and for economic output in the first quarter, also showed that prices were still rising at an uncomfortably swift pace while the economy still threatened to overheat.

If you're not an econ wonk (although, why wouldn't you be?) and don't religiously read folks like Michael Pettis and Jonathan Anderson, the above is from a nice non-threatening article (login required) that gives you the current run-down of growth and price stats in China, written cogently as usual by Keith Bradsher of the NYT.