Activity in China's factory sector shrank at its fastest rate in three years in August, increasing investors' fears that the world's second-largest economy may be lurching toward a hard landing.
China's services sector, which has been one of the lone bright spots in the sputtering economy, also showed signs of cooling.
The weak data reaffirmed bets that China, which has slashed interest rates five times since November, must loosen policy again soon to avert a sharper economic downturn that could weigh on global growth.