PHOTO: AFP[BEIJING] China’s factory activity in September expanded at the quickest pace since March, as rising new orders drove faster production growth, a private-sector survey showed on Tuesday. The RatingDog China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, rose to 51.2 in September from 50.5 in August, beating analysts’ expectations of 50.2 in a Reuters poll. The reading was better than that of an official survey released earlier on Tuesday, which showed factory activity extending declines for a sixth straight month. Sign Up Sign Up“Although new export orders rose only modestly, it was still a relatively positive signal, alleviating some market concerns over the recent weakness in exports,” Yao said. Manufacturers lifted their purchasing activity, while inventories of finished goods rose due to increased production and manufacturers’ efforts to rebuild stock levels.