--FILE--un lavoratore cinese dirige una gru per il sollevamento di rinforzo barre di acciaio in un impianto siderurgico in città Rizhao, est Chinas provincia di Shandong, 18 luglio 2014.
--FILE--A Chinese worker directs a crane to hoist reinforcing steel bars at a steel plant in Rizhao city, east Chinas Shandong province, 18 July 2014. China¯s crucial manufacturing sector slowed significantly in August in a sign of renewed weakness in the world¯s second-largest economy. The Chinese government¯s official purchasing manager¯s index, which measures the health of factory activity, fell for the first time since February, from a two-year high of 51.7 in July to a reading of 51.1 in August. Meanwhile, an alternative index published by HSBC fell to 50.2 in August, down from an 18-month high in July of 51.7 and the weakest reading in three months. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in Chinese manufacturing, while a figure below 50 indicates contraction. China¯s economy has been slowing for several years, but a sharp correction in real estate markets in recent months has led to concern that the slowdown could turn into a more severe slump.
