China’s factory activity continued to struggle in September, while services slowed, as the country’s economic recovery was challenged by lockdowns in major cities and an ongoing property market downturn. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.1 from 49.4 in August, according to a statement from the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday. That compared with the median estimate of 49.7 in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Any figure higher than 50 indicates expansion. The non-manufacturing gauge, which measures activity in the construction and services sectors, was 50.6, compared to 52.6 in ... (full story)