China's factory activity likely expanded at a slower pace in March

BEIJING: China's factory activity likely grew at a slower pace in March, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday, suggesting the economic recovery is uneven in the light of weak global demand and a property slump.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) is expected to have slowed to 51.5 in March, compared with 52.6 in February - the fastest pace in more than a decade - according to the median forecast of economists in a Reuters poll.