The manufacturing sector in China continued to contract in July, and at a faster rate, the latest survey from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Thursday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.3.
It slipped further beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
The NBS also said that its non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.1 - shy of expectations for 50.3 and down from 50.3 in the previous month.
The composite index had a score of 50.2, down from 50.7 a month earlier.