An official survey shows that China’s factory activity contracted in January for the first time in four months.

The official purchasing managers' index for January came in at 49.1, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed.

China’s official gauge of factory activity tumbled into contractionary territory in January as factories suspended operations days ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.The manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 49.

Manufacturing in China unexpectedly contracted in January in the first slowdown in four months, an official factory survey showed on Monday, as