BEIJING (Reuters) -- Factory activity in China unexpectedly expanded in March after contracting sharply to a record low, but the rapid global spread of the coronavirus is expected to keep businesses and the overall economy under heavy pressure as foreign demand slumps.
China's official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 52 in March from a collapse to a record low of 35.7 in February, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday, above the 50-point mark that separates monthly growth from contraction.
