China factory activity dips again in November

The latest official figures show that China's factory activity dipped again in November.

The world's second largest economy is being negatively impacted by strict Covid restrictions and weaker global demand.

In the past few days, there have been violent protests against President Xi Jinping's zero-Covid measures that have seen major cities put into lock-downs.

The non-manufacturing PMI - which measures business sentiment in the services and construction sector, fell to 46.7 versus 48.7 in the previous month, the lowest reading in seven months.

The government introduced a series of measures to prop up its slowing economy earlier this month. The central bank of China changed its reserve ration for banks last Friday, giving lending institutions more cash to extend loans. This was seen as a positive move to help the struggling real estate sector.

China has seen a rise in Covid 19 cases in recent weeks, with more than 37,000 cases reported on Tuesday, exceeding its previous peak in April.

Thousands in China took to the streets last weekend demanding an end to the strict measures, with some calling for President Xi Jinping to stand down.

On Tuesday, Chinese health officials said the authorities would work to reduce the inconvenience caused by the Covid epidemic.

Mi Feng, a spokesman for China's National Health Commission NHC, told reporters that lockdowns should be imposed and eased quickly and that excessive control measures should be continuously rectified.