China factory activity slows

BEIJING, Sept 30 (Agencies): Chinese factory activity slowed in September, official data showed on Sunday, as the Asian giant's trade war with the United States showed no sign of abating.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a key gauge of factory conditions, came in at 50.8 for the month, down from 51.3 in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

The figure was below the 51.2 reading tipped in a Bloomberg News survey of economists.

Although the numbers indicated a slowdown, they remained above the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction. A separate manufacturing index, calculated independently by the Caixin media group, also showed a deceleration.

"Exports increasingly dragged down performance and continued softening demand began to have an impact on companies' production," said Caixin analyst Zhengsheng Zhong.