China's factory activity unexpectedly contracted in November, according to a private survey released Monday , as soft domestic demand continued to cast a pall over the world's second-largest economy.

The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI, conducted by S&P Global, dropped to 49.9 in November, missing analysts' expectations of 50.5 in a Reuters poll. A reading above the 50 benchmark level suggests an expansion, while one below that indicates contraction.

The private survey, which has typically painted a better picture than the official polls because it focuses on export-oriented manufacturers, signaled a slowdown from 51.2 in September and 50.6 in October.

The official manufacturing PMI, released on Sunday, showed China's factory activity shrank for an eighth month in Novemb

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