China's factory activity contracted for the eighth straight month in November, underscoring challenges for the country's economy despite the US-China trade truce.
The official manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) rose slightly to 49.2 in November from 49 in October, China's National Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday.
The PMI is measured on a scale between 0 and 100, with a reading below 50 indicating contraction. The contraction was in line with analyst expectations.
Regaining export momentum
A US tariff cut earlier this month likely would mean that Chinese exports could gain competitiveness in the US market, but it may be too early to say whether exports have regained momentum following the trade truce.
US President Donald Trump said the US would cut its tariffs on Chinese goods after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on October 30, raising some optimism over Chinese exports and manufacturing.
China battling property slump
A prolonged slump in China's property market and falling home prices are still hurting consumer confidence, and real estate investments have been down.
Intense price competition domestically in many sectors including the auto industry have also put pressure on many businesses.
More government policy support is required to help boost the economy, economists said.
While Chinese authorities previously rolled out measures such as trade-in subsidies for home appliances and electric vehicles, some of these subsidies are set to be phased out, and sales and demand are likely to drop, analysts said.
