Consumer prices in China were up 0.8 percent on month in January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.
That exceeded expectations for an increase of 0.7 percent following the flat reading in December.
On a yearly basis, consumer prices advanced 2.1 percent - missing forecasts for 2.2 percent but still higher than 1.8 percent in the previous month.
The bureau also said that producer prices dropped 0.8 percent on year versus expectations for a decline of 0.5 percent following the 0.7 percent drop a month earlier.