Mubasher: Activity in Chinese factories expanded at a slightly faster momentum in November, a private gauge showed on Monday.

The Caixin purchasing managers’ index (PMI) gauging China’s manufacturing ticked up to 50.2 in November, compared with 50.1 in October, Caixin Media and research firm IHS Markit reported.

Total new orders grew slightly in November probably due to a recent series of government policies aimed at buttressing private sector, CEBM Group economist Zhengsheng Zhong told MarketWatch.

However, a sub-index of export new orders dipped further into contraction territory last November, reflecting the impact of the US-China trade conflict on exports during the past months, Zhong said.

The gauge for production remained stable for the second month in a row due to relatively subdued sales and stricter environmental policies, Caixin said.

The subindex measuring employment fell further into negative territory in November, driven by faltering demand and downsizing policies by some firms.

This came in contrast with the official data that indicated weaker manufacturing activity.

While the Caixin PMI indicated a slight improvement in November, the official manufacturing PMI released last week showed that Chinese manufacturing activity stalled, falling to 50, from 50.2 last month.