China's manufacturing sector showed tentative signs of stabilization in November 2025, with the official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising to 49.2, up 0.2 points from October, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Sunday. While remaining below the 50-point threshold separating contraction from expansion, the uptick reflects modest improvements in production and demand.
The production index reached 50, marking a neutral point, while the new orders index rose to 49.2, suggesting a mild recovery in market demand. High-tech manufacturing continued to outperform, posting a PMI of 50.1 and maintaining steady growth for the third consecutive month.
Small enterprises led the rebound, with their PMI climbing to 49.1, while medium-sized firms rose to 48.9. Large companies registered a slight dip to 49.3. Huo Lihui, chief statistician at the NBS Service Industry Survey Center, noted that the business outlook index reached 53.1, indicating growing confidence among manufacturers about future market conditions.
Analysts suggest the figures point to a cautiously optimistic trajectory for Asia's largest economy, with targeted policy support and innovation-driven sectors like high-tech manufacturing acting as key stabilizers.
