A key indicator of China’s manufacturing activity fell below the boom-or-bust line in September for the fifth straight month, as a slowdown in domestic demand amid a prolonged real estate slump led an import index to drop.
The National Bureau of Statistics says the latest monthly Purchasing Managers Index stood at 49.8. A reading below 50 indicates contraction.
The figure did edge up 0.7 points from August, but it has come in below the 50-point threshold since May.
The index for non-manufacturers, including those in the service sector, stood at 50. That was down 0.3 points from August.
The statistics bureau conducts a monthly survey of 3,200 manufacturers to compile the index.
Last week, the Chinese Communist Party said it will actively promote fiscal policies to stimulate economic growth. The People’s Bank of China also took additional monetary easing measures to shore up the economy.