Asia's factory activity hit by global uncertainty, focus on China stimulus

The assembly line of VinFast Auto Ltd. Feliz S electric scooters at the company's manufacturing plant in Hai Phong, Vietnam, on Monday, June 10, 2024. Photographer: Linh Pham/Bloomberg

TOKYO: Asia's factory activity weakened in September as soft Chinese demand and global economic uncertainty pointed to a challenging outlook, private surveys showed, keeping policymakers under pressure to shore up their fragile economies.

The region's manufacturers may get some relief in the coming months from aggressive stimulus unveiled by Chinese authorities over the past week, including a lowering of interest rates and injection of liquidity into the banking system.