{
  "id": 17336197,
  "title": "China’s factory activity returns to contraction in October",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/chinas-factory-activity-returns-to-contraction-in-october",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T04:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/31/china-s-factory-activity-returns-to-contraction-in-october"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China's manufacturing sector contracted in October, according to official data released on Saturday. The country's PMI, a key indicator of industrial health, fell to 49.3, below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. Despite strong growth in high-tech industries, the consumer goods market weakened, contributing to the overall decline. The drop was partly attributed to a week-long national holiday at the start of the month and a volatile international environment, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The PMI fell short of the 49.9 forecast by economists and was lower than the previous months of September and August. However, it was higher than the 49.2 recorded in July. International crude oil prices have risen, increasing the costs of coal, rubber, and plastic products. While high-tech sectors show positive momentum due to the artificial intelligence boom, the consumer goods industry saw a decline of 1.9 percentage points from the previous month. Beijing aims for annual growth of 4.5 to 5.0 percent this year, its lowest target in decades, as sluggish domestic demand hampers export strength. Strong exports alone are insufficient to bolster economic momentum, according to Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. The non-manufacturing PMI, which gauges activity in services, construction, and other sectors, also fell to 49.7 in October, below the forecast of 50.0 and down from September's 50.2. The decline was attributed to a drop in business prosperity, particularly in the financial sector, and a slowdown in construction activity.",
  "summary": "The drop in manufacturing activity was partly driven by a week-long national holiday at the start of the month.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Business",
        "title": "China's factory activity marks third contraction in four months",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/chinas-factory-activity-marks-third-contraction-in-four-months",
        "published": "2026-10-31T03:58:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}