China's factory activity picked up slightly in September but remained in contraction as manufacturing saw improved, yet weak, demand.
The Caixin flash China general manufacturing PMI plunged to 78-month low at 47.0 in September from 47.3 in August, a preliminary Caixin survey showed.
China's factory activity continued to lose steam in August, suggesting the world's second-largest economy faces prolonged downward pressure.
In the first six months, the total foreign trade value was 11.53 trillion yuan ($1.85 trillion), down by 6.9 percent from a year earlier.
Activity in China's factory sector expanded slightly in June though not as much as expected, while growth in the services sector picked up.
China's manufacturing activity continued to contract in June, but the persistent weakness showed a marginal improvement over May.
China's factory sector turned in its best in three months, a preliminary HSBC survey showed on Tuesday, though overall manufacturing activity still contracted slightly.
The Chinese mainland made more than $45.4 billion of non-financial investment in overseas markets in the first five months of 2015, up 47.4 percent year on year.
China's new yuan-denominated lending reached 900.8 billion yuan ($147.4 billion) in May, according to a statement issued by the central bank on Thursday.
Foreign direct investment to the Chinese mainland jumped 10.5 percent year on year in the first five months of 2015, settling at $53.83 billion.
China's retail sales accelerated in May, indicating that pro-consumption policies have begun to take effect.
China's fixed asset investment recovered slightly in May due to improved manufacturing and property sectors, but economic slowdown continues, official data showed.
China's producer price index (PPI), which measures wholesale inflation, slid 4.6 percent year on year in May, official statistics showed Tuesday.
Experts said falling prices of vegetables, fruits and eggs due to seasonal factors were the main cause of the CPI decline last month.
China's exports declined 2.8 percent and imports slumped 18.1 percent year on year in May, official data showed on Monday, marking continued pressure on the economy.
China's manufacturing business activity continued improving in May, with an important index remaining in expansion territory, official data showed.
Chinese factory activity contracted for a third month in May and output shrank at the fastest rate in just over a year, a private survey showed.
China's producer price index, which measures wholesale inflation, plunged 4.6 percent year on year in April.
China's inflation index grew 1.5 percent year-on-year in April, similar to that of last month's 1.4 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Manufacturing activity was on the verge of contraction, firming up policymakers' key task of stabilizing growth by new stimulus measures.