China's factory activity expands at fastest pace in over three years

Reuters reports that China’s factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than three years in November, while growth in the services sector also hit a multi-year high.

China’s official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) rose to 52.1 in November from 51.4 in October, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. It was the highest PMI reading since September 2017 and remained above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. It was also higher than the 51.5 median forecast in a Reuters poll of analysts.

“The rise in November manufacturing PMI, with broad-based improvements across the sub-indices, suggest the recovery momentum in the industrial sector has become more certain,” Zhang Liqun, analyst at China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing.

“But the results also showed inadequate demand is still a common issue facing firms. We need to consolidate the policy support aimed to expand domestic demand.”

In the services sector, activity expanded for the ninth straight month. The official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 56.4, the fastest since June 2012 and up from 56.2 in October, as consumer confidence gathered pace amid few COVID-19 infections.

Railway and air transportation, telecommunication and satellite transmission services and the financial industry were among the best performing sectors in November.