Factory surveys produced stronger purchasing manager index (PMI) numbers in Taiwan, China and Vietnam, and while activity in Japan’s factories was still growing, the pace was slower than in October. China’s official PMI rose to 51.7 from October’s 51.2, staying above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. The index was stronger than economists polled by Reuters had expected and matched a level last seen in July 2014. Elsewhere in Asia, India’s factory activity expanded, but growth slowed last month, resulting in the biggest month-on-month decline in its PMI since March 2013. South Korean factories showed a fourth consecutive month of slowdown underlying a fragile recovery for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

Source: Taipei Times December 01, 2016 16:03 UTC