In March this year, the China HSBC Flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) decreased to 49.2, the lowest level in the past 11 months, down from February's final reading of 50.7, as announced by the HSBC on March 24.
Annabel Fiddes, an economist at Markit, said that the decline indicated that the Chinese manufacturing industry has faced worsening conditions in March, which will put pressure on China's government to further ease its monetary policy.