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China's factory activity declined in October, official data showed Monday. Pictured here on Oct. 27, 2022, in Jiangsu province is an aluminum products company. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China's factory activity fell in October due to frequent Covid outbreaks, the National Bureau of Statistics said Monday. The official purchasing managers' index for manufacturing fell to 49.2 this month, down from 50.1 in September, the data showed. Economists had expected a print of 50, according to analysts polled by Reuters. Readings below 50 indicate a contraction in business activity , while figures 50 above reflect expansion. The index surveys businesses on operating conditions. The index has come in below 50 for six out of 10 months of the year so far. Sub-indicators on factory employment, production, new orders and supplier delivery time all showed contraction in October compared to September. watch now VIDEO 2:53 02:53 China will continue to be No. 1 in the...

Customers buying pork at a food market in Shanghai, China. Prices of pork, a food staple in China, rose by 20.2% in July 2022 compared to a year ago, official data showed. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — China's consumer price index hit a two-year high in July as pork prices rebounded, according to official data released Wednesday. Prices of pork, a food staple in China, rose by 20.2% in July from a year ago. It marked the first increase since September 2020, according to official data accessed through Wind Information. In fact, pork prices posted their largest month-on-month surge on record — up by 25.6%, the data showed . Farmers' reluctance to sell — in hopes of getting higher prices in the future — contributed to July's pork price surge, said Bian Shuyang, agricultural products analyst at Nanhua Futures, in a statement. Looking ahead, Bian expects it will be difficult for pork prices to surpass July's levels. Two Chinese holidays in September ...