China manufacturing grows for second month

BEIJING (AFP) - China's manufacturing activity grew in November for the second month in a row, official data showed on Saturday, in a further sign of strength in the world's second-biggest economy after a marked slowdown.

China's purchasing managers' index (PMI) reached 50.6 last month, up from 50.2 in October and 49.8 in September, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion while anything below points to contraction.

Separately, in a further sign of upward momentum, a closely watched private survey of Chinese manufacturing released by HSBC on Nov 22 showed growth for the first time in 13 months.