Jinghua Times reported on January 21, 2012, that HSBC just released its latest Chinese manufacturing industry’s PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) number. The January number is 48.8, which indicates that the manufacturing sector remained weak in the first month of the year: output and new orders are still declining. Qu Hongbin, HSBC’s Chief Economist in the China Region, commented that the HSBC PMI has been below 50 for three consecutive months, which shows that the growth of the Chinese economy is still slowing down. The continuous decline of investment and exports may result in serious challenges for economic growth. The manufacturing sector may very likely face the heavy pressure of dealing with a high inventory level. PMI is an indicator of financial activity reflecting purchasing managers’ acquisition of goods and services. A PMI number below 50 typically reflects a decline.
Source: Jinghua Times, January 21, 2012
http://news.jinghua.cn/348/c/201201/21/n3611197.shtml