China’s factory activity slows in May, raising questions over its economy (opens in new tab)

China’s factory activity was flat in May, according to an official survey released Sunday, raising questions about how much further the country’s economy can shield itself from the fallout of the ongoing Iran war and pressure on demand. The new orders sub-index dropped to 49.9 from 50.6 in April, while the sub-index on production edged down to 51.2 from April’s 51.5. The sub-index for raw material stockpiles fell to 48.6 from 49.3 in April.