China manufacturing grows weakly in February

BEIJING (AP) — Two surveys show Chinese manufacturing grew weakly in February, hampered by supply disruptions, anti-virus controls and lackluster global demand. A purchasing managers’ index issued by a Chinese business magazine, Caixin, improved to 50.4 from January’s 49.1 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 show activity increasing. A separate PMI issued by the Chinese statistics agency and an industry group edged up to 50.2 from 50.1. Both surveys showed production accelerating while export orders contracted. Anti-disease measures have disrupted manufacturing and consumer spending. They have imposed restrictions as severe as confining families to their homes in areas with a total of as many as 20 million people.