Japan's output of general machinery slipped 7.9%, while that of production machinery decreased 5.7%, driving down the overall index in November. Watch this video to know more.

World Business Watch: Japan November factory output falls 7.9 percent

china where countries supported by stronger energy production and a moderation in raw material prices its factory output has grown faster than expected last month.

China's factory output rose 3.8% in November

The factory output has grown at fastest pace in 20 months last month as robust exports fired up factories again.

World Business Watch: Factory output grown at fastest pace in 20 months last month

Factory&nbsp;activity in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-begins-deliveries-of-china-made-model-3-cars-270899">China</a> expanded for a second straight month in December, as production quickened and export orders rose, offering some support for the manufacturing sector amid signs of progress in trade talks with the United States.

China's&nbsp;official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was unchanged at 50.2 in December from November, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday and remained above the 50-point mark that separates monthly growth from contraction. November's gain had ended six straight months of contraction.

Analysts polled by sources expected the December PMI to be 50.1.

The better-than-expected readings suggested some recovery in the world's second-largest economy this month. Production rose at the fastest pace in over a year while the growth of total new orders remained buoyant, only a notch lower than a recent high hit last month.

December's expansion comes amid signs of improvement in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/phase-one-trade-deal-with-china-would-be-signed-very-shortly-donald-trump-269576">Sino-US&nbsp;trade talks</a>, which have boosted global investor confidence and helped Chinese manufacturers book new orders from abroad.

New export orders, in particular, rose for the first time since May 2018 in December.

China and the United States announced a Phase 1 agreement that would reduce some US&nbsp;tariffs in exchange for more Chinese purchases of American farm products, which analysts believed could stimulate&nbsp;China's&nbsp;exports and corporate investment in the near-term.

Profits at&nbsp;China's&nbsp;industrial firms grew at the fastest pace in eight months in November on quickening output and sales.

Factories continued to shed jobs in December, but the pace of reduction did not accelerate.

Over 25 million jobs were trimmed from the industrial sector from end-2013 to end-2018, mostly in labour-intensive industries, the latest economic census showed, as labour costs rose.

However, growth in&nbsp;China's&nbsp;services sector activity cooled in December.

The official non-manufacturing PMI dropped to 53.5, from an eight-month high of 54.4 in November, a separate survey showed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/us-re-designates-pakistan-china-as-countries-curbing-religious-freedom-269447">Beijing</a> has relied on a strong services sector to offset manufacturing weakness. However, a broader economic slowdown since late last year has limited the sector's resilience.

China plans to set a lower economic growth target of around 6 per cent&nbsp;in 2020 from this year's 6-6.5 per cent, relying on increased state infrastructure spending to ward off a sharper slowdown.

Factory activity in China expanded for a second straight month in December, as production quickened and export orders rose, offering some support for the manufacturing sector amid signs of progress in trade talks with the United States.

Factory activity in China expanded for a second straight month in December, as production quickened and export orders rose, offering some support for the manufacturing sector amid signs of progress in trade talks with the United States. China's official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was unchanged at 50.2 in December from November, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday and remained above the 50-point mark that separates monthly growth from contraction. November's gain had ended six straight months of contraction. Analysts polled by sources expected the December PMI to be 50.1. The better-than-expected readings suggested some recovery in the world's second-largest economy this month. Production rose at the fastest pace in over a year while the growth of total new orders remained buoyant, only a notch lower than a recent high hit last month. December's expansion comes amid signs of improvement in Sino-US trade talks, which have boosted global investor confidence and helped Chinese manufacturers book new orders from abroad. New export orders, in particular, rose for the first time since May 2018 in December. China and the United States announced a Phase 1 agreement that would reduce some US tariffs in exchange for more Chinese purchases of American farm products, which analysts believed could stimulate China's exports and corporate investment in the near-term. Profits at China's industrial firms grew at the fastest pace in eight months in November on quickening output and sales. Factories continued to shed jobs in December, but the pace of reduction did not accelerate. Over 25 million jobs were trimmed from the industrial sector from end-2013 to end-2018, mostly in labour-intensive industries, the latest economic census showed, as labour costs rose. However, growth in China's services sector activity cooled in December. The official non-manufacturing PMI dropped to 53.5, from an eight-month high of 54.4 in November, a separate survey showed. Beijing has relied on a strong services sector to offset manufacturing weakness. However, a broader economic slowdown since late last year has limited the sector's resilience. China plans to set a lower economic growth target of around 6 per cent in 2020 from this year's 6-6.5 per cent, relying on increased state infrastructure spending to ward off a sharper slowdown.

China's factory activity expands for second month as output, export orders pick up

China&#39;s economy expanded more than expected in the second quarter of the year, data showed today, fuelling hopes growth may be stabilising, but analysts warned private investment still needed to pick up. 
 
The world&#39;s second biggest economy grew 6.7 per cent year on year in April-June, slightly quicker than forecast in an AFP survey and the same as the previous three months. 
 
The result is also in line with the government&#39;s 6.5-7.0 target for the full year and will provide some much-needed relief as China and key driver of the global economy suffers its worst rates of growth for 25 years. 
 
&quot;The national economy has achieved moderate but steady and sound development,&quot; National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Sheng Laiyun said, adding he was confident that the annual growth target could be achieved. 
 
Markets were unmoved by the figures, with Shanghai&#39;s composite index ending the morning slightly lower. 
 
However, economists analysts said the growth was driven by state investment in infrastructure and a real-estate rebound, suggesting it may be hard to maintain in the longer-term. 
 
&quot;China is on track of achieving this year&#39;s growth target,&quot; said Haibin Zhu, JP Morgan China chief economist. But he added that while industrial production was &quot;very strong&quot;, private investment was weak. 
 
After decades of breakneck growth policymakers are now trying to retool the economy, embracing weaker growth as a trade-off for structural reforms to wean the country off cheap exports and massive government spending in favour of domestic consumption. 
 
But the transition has proved challenging. 
 
Fixed asset investment, a gauge of infrastructure spending, rose nine per cent in the first half of the year, amid a record credit binge in the first quarter aimed at stimulating China&#39;s slowing economy. 
 
Investment concern 
 
And investment by private businesses grew by less than three percent in the first half of the year, the data showed. 
 
Sheng blamed the slowdown in private investment on overcapacity in traditional industries, barriers for private firms to enter some sectors, and limited access to loans. 
 
Tom Rafferty of the Economist Intelligence Unit said &quot;levels of state investment we have seen are not sustainable if the authorities are at all serious about curbing debt risks&quot;. 
 
The &quot;greatest concern&quot; is the slide in investment by private firms, he added, in a sign that businesses are worried about the wider economy and Beijing is &quot;failing to deliver on promised market reforms&rdquo;. 
 
Factory production and consumer spending grew slightly, and industrial output rose over six per cent on year in June, a slight increase on the previous month, although retail sales rose far more than expected. 
 
The data come days after another downbeat reading on trade, which showed the fall in imports and exports accelerated in June. 
 
Klaus Baader, Hong Kong-based chief economist for Asia Pacific of Societe Generale, said: &ldquo;I think it has been engineered by significant reacceleration in credit growth. He added that the growth figure was &quot;a little bit disappointing&quot;, given the scale of lending expansion. 
 
Official Chinese figures are viewed with widespread scepticism, and just days ago the government altered its growth calculation method for the second time in less than a year. 
 
Today&#39;s figures &quot;should be taken with a grain of salt&quot; because of the political pressures on officials to meet the growth target, research firm Capital Economics said in a note. 
 
(AFP)

The world's second biggest economy grew 6.7 per cent year on year in April-June, slightly quicker than AFP forecast

China's economy expanded more than expected in the second quarter of the year, data showed today, fuelling hopes growth may be stabilising, but analysts warned private investment still needed to pick up. The world's second biggest economy grew 6.7 per cent year on year in April-June, slightly quicker than forecast in an AFP survey and the same as the previous three months. The result is also in line with the government's 6.5-7.0 target for the full year and will provide some much-needed relief as China and key driver of the global economy suffers its worst rates of growth for 25 years. "The national economy has achieved moderate but steady and sound development," National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Sheng Laiyun said, adding he was confident that the annual growth target could be achieved. Markets were unmoved by the figures, with Shanghai's composite index ending the morning slightly lower. However, economists analysts said the growth was driven by state investment in infrastructure and a real-estate rebound, suggesting it may be hard to maintain in the longer-term. "China is on track of achieving this year's growth target," said Haibin Zhu, JP Morgan China chief economist. But he added that while industrial production was "very strong", private investment was weak. After decades of breakneck growth policymakers are now trying to retool the economy, embracing weaker growth as a trade-off for structural reforms to wean the country off cheap exports and massive government spending in favour of domestic consumption. But the transition has proved challenging. Fixed asset investment, a gauge of infrastructure spending, rose nine per cent in the first half of the year, amid a record credit binge in the first quarter aimed at stimulating China's slowing economy. Investment concern And investment by private businesses grew by less than three percent in the first half of the year, the data showed. Sheng blamed the slowdown in private investment on overcapacity in traditional industries, barriers for private firms to enter some sectors, and limited access to loans. Tom Rafferty of the Economist Intelligence Unit said "levels of state investment we have seen are not sustainable if the authorities are at all serious about curbing debt risks". The "greatest concern" is the slide in investment by private firms, he added, in a sign that businesses are worried about the wider economy and Beijing is "failing to deliver on promised market reforms”. Factory production and consumer spending grew slightly, and industrial output rose over six per cent on year in June, a slight increase on the previous month, although retail sales rose far more than expected. The data come days after another downbeat reading on trade, which showed the fall in imports and exports accelerated in June. Klaus Baader, Hong Kong-based chief economist for Asia Pacific of Societe Generale, said: “I think it has been engineered by significant reacceleration in credit growth. He added that the growth figure was "a little bit disappointing", given the scale of lending expansion. Official Chinese figures are viewed with widespread scepticism, and just days ago the government altered its growth calculation method for the second time in less than a year. Today's figures "should be taken with a grain of salt" because of the political pressures on officials to meet the growth target, research firm Capital Economics said in a note. (AFP)

China economy beats growth forecasts in Q2

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