China Manufacturing PMI Contracts Again; AI Hardware Sub-Index Defies Slump
Humanoid robots (front) and industrial robots (back) produced by Siasun or Xinsong during the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing on August 20, 2026. Adek BERRY/AFP via Getty Images China’s official factory barometer rose to 49.8 in August, beating expectations but remaining below the expansion threshold for a second consecutive month — and buried inside…