Mainland PMI contracts for third month in a row
An official survey shows mainland manufacturing activity contracting for the third consecutive month. The purchasing managers' index fell to 49 in December from 49.4 the previous month, as factories struggled with weak demand.  The number was weaker than a median forecast of 49.5 in a Reuters poll. A figure below 50 signals contraction.  The government has in recent months unveiled a raft of measures to shore up the economy, facing a weak property market and slow global growth.