China's manufacturing activity fell for a fourth straight month in July while the services and construction sectors teetered on the brink of contraction, official surveys showed on Monday, threatening growth prospects for the third quarter.
Construction sector activity for July was its weakest since COVID-19-related workplace disruptions dissipated around February, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.
The world's second-largest economy grew at a slow pace in the second quarter, as demand remained weak at home and abroad, leading the Politburo — a top decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party — to describe economic recovery as "tortuous."