BEIJING—China’s factory activity contracted for the first time in 19 months in December as domestic and export orders continued to weaken, a private survey showed, pointing to a rocky start for the world’s second-largest economy in 2019.
The gloomy readings largely dovetailed with an official survey on Dec. 31 which showed growing strains on China’s manufacturing sector, a key source of jobs. The findings reinforce views the economy is losing more steam.
