Growth eases for manufacturing sector

Growth in China’s manufacturing sector cooled slightly last month as foreign demand for Chinese goods slackened, but a governmentled infrastructure push kept construction humming and helped prop up the world’s second-largest economy. The official Purchasing Managers’ Index held above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction for the 12th straight month, as China poured funds into a construction boom that has fuelled demand for everything from cement to steel and other building materials.