China

Manufacturing in China hit a 15-month low in July, according to the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey. The index for July 2015 fell to 48.2 from 49.4 the month before while the factory output sub-index fell to its lowest point in 16 months. Analysts say that an overall drop in factory orders, including export orders, is partly to blame for the decline and that the government is working to reduce reliance on the fast and furious foreign trade that has fueled the country’s economic boom. (AP)