China factory activity picks up in December as orders rebound ahead of holidays

BANGKOK (AP) 鈥� Chinese factory activity expanded for the first time in eight months in December, as orders picked up ahead of holidays and builders rushed to finish projects, according to surveys released Wednesday.

The official purchasing managers index for manufacturing, a monthly survey of companies, rose to 50.1 this month, the National Bureau of Statistics reported. That was just above the 50 cut off for expansion versus contraction on a scale up to 100. Another, private sector, survey also was at 50.1 for December.

The better-than-expected readings partly reflect easing pressure due to an extended truce in with the U.S. They also suggest manufacturers ramped up production ahead of New Year holidays, when many companies close for days. China鈥檚 Lunar New Year falls in mid-February this year.

In comments to a new year’s gathering carried Wednesday by China’s state media, President Xi Jinping, vowed to promote 鈥渉igh-quality development鈥� and to carry out 鈥渕ore positive macroeconomic policies鈥� while ensuring social harmony and stability.

The world’s is forecast to grow at a pace just below the official target of about 5% this year, supported by strong activity in high-tech industries and exports. The official PMI for high-tech manufacturing stood at 52.5 in December, up 2.4 percentage points from the previous month.

The report said the PMIs for both equipment manufacturing and the consumer goods industry reached 50.4.

The separate report by RatingDog, a Chinese credit research and analysis company based in the southern city of Shenzhen, said that despite an increase in overall orders, new export sales fell slightly and hiring weakened.

鈥淥verall, the manufacturing sector regained growth at the end of 2025,鈥� RatingDog’s founder Yao Yu said in a statement. 鈥淗owever, the improvement was marginal, with the impact of promotions and new products appearing impulse-driven and their sustainability requiring observation.鈥�

The National Statistic Bureau said the PMI measures for food, textiles, clothing and electronics were above a relatively strong 53.

However, while large manufacturers increased their output, factory activity for the small and mid-sized enterprises that account for the lion鈥檚 share of employment in China remained in contractionary territory. As consumers on spending, conditions for retailers and restaurants also deteriorated, the report said.

Some economists believe China’s economy is growing more slowly than official figures suggest. Its leaders are grappling with long-term challenges including a in the country’s property sector and excess capacity in many industries, including automaking, that has led to damaging price wars.

Higher costs for raw materials, especially for metals, has put pressure on company profit margins, the RatingDog report said. It noted that had raised prices for the first time in three months to help offset those higher costs.

The upturn in activity may be short-lived as it appears to be helped by a slight increase in government spending, Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a report.

鈥淭he big picture is that the structural headwinds from the property downturn and industrial overcapacity are set to persist in 2026 and there appears to be limited appetite among policymakers for a big increase in demand-side stimulus,鈥� he said.