China’s factory activity picked up in November after two months of contraction, yet still the third lowest in about 20 months, despite the ease of mass power rationing and raw material price surges. China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for November was 50.1, up from 49.2 in October—the first time it exceeded the 50 mark since September, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show on Nov. 30. The index tells the direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors. The 50-point mark separates expansion from contraction on a monthly basis in sector activity and a reading above 50 indicates growth—the higher the reading, the faster the growth pace is. “Power rationing eased somewhat in November while prices for some raw materials dropped significantly, driving an expansion in manufacturing PMI,” senior NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said on Nov. 30. This month also saw an increase in work …