China's manufacturing PMI stands at 49.2 in November

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 49.2 in November, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, official data showed Sunday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.

Both production and demand sides saw improvement. The sub-index for production stood at 50.0, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month. On the demand side, the sub-index for new orders came in at 49.2, up 0.4 percentage points, according to the figures from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and the Service Survey Center of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

"The manufacturing PMI in November showed a slight rebound, with business conditions improving. Both the production and demand sides saw improvement, and the sub-indices for production and new orders rose, with that for production reaching the critical threshold," said Huo Lihui, director of the business climate survey division under the service survey center of NBS.

The PMI for small enterprises saw a significant rebound, standing at 49.1 -- up 2 percentage points from the previous month to reach a six-month high. The PMI for large enterprises came in at 49.3, a drop of 0.6 percentage points, while the reading for medium-sized enterprises stood at 48.9, up 0.2 percentage points.

"Industry-wise, the production and new order indices for sectors such as agricultural food processing, and non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling were located in the expansionary zone, indicating active production and demand," Huo said.

High-tech manufacturing continued to expand, with its PMI standing at 50.1 -- remaining above the critical point for 10 consecutive months, according to the NBS.

In addition, the finished goods inventory sub-index came in at 47.3 in November, down 0.8 percentage points from October, suggesting smooth sales activities at Chinese companies.

Market expectations remained stable with a slight upward trend. The sub-index for production and operation activity expectation stood at 53.1, up 0.3 percentage points from October, indicating that manufacturing enterprises have grown more confident in recent market developments.

China's manufacturing PMI stands at 49.2 in November

China's manufacturing PMI stands at 49.2 in November

China's manufacturing PMI stands at 49.2 in November

China on Sunday unveiled an updated version of its national medical insurance drug list and the inaugural edition of the commercial insurance innovative drug list, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration.

The updated national medical insurance drug list has added 114 drugs, among which 50 are innovative pharmaceuticals. It has incorporated certain medications that fill the gaps in basic medical insurance coverage, such as drugs for major diseases, rare diseases, and chronic conditions.

The commercial insurance innovative drug list included 19 drugs for the treatment of tumors, rare diseases, and Alzheimer's, among others.

The country's medical insurance authority has adjusted the list for eight years in a row, increasing the total number of medications to 3,253 and significantly improving coverage in key areas such as oncology, chronic diseases, mental illnesses, rare diseases, and pediatric medications.

China updates national medical insurance catalog, adds 114 new drugs