China’s manufacturing contracts, signaling recovery concerns

BEIJING (AP) — An official survey shows that China’s factory activity declined in April from the previous month, signaling policymakers’ challenges in sustaining momentum in the country’s economic recovery. According to the government statistics bureau and an official industry group, a monthly purchasing managers’ index declined to 49.2 from March’s 51.9 on a 100-point scale where numbers below 50 indicate activity contracting. The data showed measures of production, new orders, and employment dropped from the previous month. China’s economic growth accelerated in the first quarter of this year after the abrupt end of anti-virus controls. But authorities cautioned that the world’s No. 2 economy will likely face import and export pressures in the coming months.