CHINA's economy has showed further signs of sluggish momentum as factory activity slowed, increasing pressure on leader Xi Jinping to do more to boost growth days before Beijing opens its annual flagship political event, reports London's Financial Times.
The country's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index stood at 49.1 for February, slipping from a reading of 49.2 in January and in line with a Reuters analyst forecast. A reading below 50 marks a contraction from the previous month.
The consistent weakness in China's manufacturing PMI - which has been below 50 every month since March bar September - comes as Beijing is due to open the annual meeting of its National People's Congress, where it will announce its targets for economic growth and fiscal stimulus this year.
The downbeat reading will add to pressure on policymakers to announce stronger stimulus measures, with the chinese Communist party leadership body, the politburo, this week indicating that more may be needed, though few expect Beijing to announce a 'bazooka' package typical of the past.
SeaNews Turkey
The country's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index stood at 49.1 for February, slipping from a reading of 49.2 in January and in line with a Reuters analyst forecast. A reading below 50 marks a contraction from the previous month.
The consistent weakness in China's manufacturing PMI - which has been below 50 every month since March bar September - comes as Beijing is due to open the annual meeting of its National People's Congress, where it will announce its targets for economic growth and fiscal stimulus this year.
The downbeat reading will add to pressure on policymakers to announce stronger stimulus measures, with the chinese Communist party leadership body, the politburo, this week indicating that more may be needed, though few expect Beijing to announce a 'bazooka' package typical of the past.
SeaNews Turkey
