VENTURE CAPITAL POST

European companies in Russia warned on Tuesday they were being hurt by a Russian embargo on food imports as well as EU sanctions and risked being "sacrificed" in the standoff over Ukraine.

China's export and import performance in September easily beat forecasts, with imports showing unexpected buoyancy, helping to ease concerns about deteriorating domestic demand in the world's second-biggest economy.

The chance of a hard landing for China's economy is very small in spite of worries about the country's real-estate sector, the chief economist of the People's Bank of China said on Saturday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend a summit of European and Asian leaders on a trip starting next week that will also include a visit to Germany and the signing of energy and high-speed rail deals with Russia, the government said.

China's vast factory sector showed signs of steadying in September as export orders climbed, a private survey showed on Tuesday, easing fears of a hard landing but pointing to a still-sluggish economy facing considerable risks.

China will continue leading a prudent monetary policy with focus on targeted easing measures, Premier Li Keqiang said, according to a statement published on a central government website.

China's economy can avoid an sharp drop in growth, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday as he promised to accelerate China's switch to an economic model driven by science and innovation.

China's Premier Li Keqiang's projects will now get the much needed help with the recent boost in the manufacturing industry.