China factories scrabble for growth in May, export demand shrinks

Growth in China's giant factory sector edged up to a six-month high in May but export demand continued to shrink, prompting companies to shed workers and keeping alive worries about a protracted economic slowdown, an official survey showed on Monday. The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) edged up to 50.2 from April's 50.1, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on its website, in line with analysts' forecast for a 50.2 reading. The non-manufacturin