The pace of growth of China’s manufacturing sector eased last month although output continued to expand.
The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said its Purchasing Managers Index fell to 53.9 in December from 55.2 in November and 54.7 in October.
It was the first time in five months that the measure had fallen. But while the reading is not as high as it was, it remains over the threshold mark of 50, which indicates expansion.
The BBC reported analysts as saying that strong domestic demand has continued to offset weakness in some of the country’s export markets such as the US and Europe.