China intensified efforts to stabilize investment after nationwide fixed-asset investment fell 6.7% year-on-year in the first seven months, a decline that widened by 1 percentage point from the previous month. The State Council Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang on August 21 focused on next-generation communications networks and clearing overdue corporate payments, while the NDRC (China's economic planning agency) held three meetings from August 19 to 20 on major "Six Networks" projects, private investment and "dual-major" construction. Infrastructure has become a larger drag on investment than property, while private fixed-asset investment dropped 9.4%, with the contraction excluding real-estate development investment at its lowest level in recent years. Policy discussions centered on a "2+3+N" coordination mechanism linking two power-grid companies, three telecom operators and computing-power enterprises, along with stronger government support for private investment. Fiscal measures include 100 billion yuan, or about $14.9 billion, allocated this year for six fiscal-financial coordination policies. Beijing and Shanghai have also eased housing-market rules to support demand before the traditional "golden September, silver October" sales season. Analysts cited weak demand, high costs, financing barriers, sluggish project implementation and subdued land purchases as continuing risks, while saying stronger consumption would be needed to transmit support through property development, investment and related industries.