China's inflation remained tepid in January, but economists said the country's central bank still has little room to ease monetary policy as concerns over growing debt overshadow slowing economic growth.</br></br>China's consumer-price index rose 2.5% year-over-year, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday showed, matching December's pace. Economists had expected a slightly lower figure, but on Friday said January's figure was still mild.</br></br>China's CPI typically spikes around the Lunar New Year holiday, which fell at the end of January, but this year muted food prices helped to keep overall inflation modest. A stronger Chinese yuan has also helped push down the prices of imported goods, said Bill Adams, an economist at U.S.-based PNC Financial Services.</br></br>Consumer inflation could pick up somewhat later this year, averaging 3% in 2014, according to estimates by J.P. Morgan. Still, that would be easily within the government's stated tolerance of 3.5%.</br></br>Despite a slowing economy and tepid price rises, the central bank is unlikely to cut interest rates or tone down its commitment to slowing the growth of credit, experts said.