China Oct manufacturing activity expands for first time in six months

A vehicle production factory in Huaian, China. — Reuters

BEIJING: China's manufacturing activity in October expanded for the first time in six months, an official factory survey showed on Thursday, supporting policymakers' optimism that recent fresh stimulus will get the world's No. 2 economy back on track.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in October from 49.8 in September, just above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction and beating a median forecast of 49.9 in a Reuters poll. (Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)