BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s manufacturing activity contracted in September for the fifth straight month, although at a slower pace than in August, an official survey of factories showed on Monday.
The official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 49.8 in September from 49.1 in August, still below the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction, but beating a median forecast of 49.5 in a Reuters poll.