China's central bank said to inject $81bn into system

China's central bank is said to be injecting 500bn yuan ($81bn; £50bn) into the five biggest state-owned banks to counter slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) is reportedly giving each bank a $100bn low-interest loan over three months.

The move may be the first of several stimulus measures, analysts say.

It is aimed at lifting business confidence and investment following a string of weak economic data.

China's economy showed more evidence of a slowdown with industrial production and foreign direct investment hitting multi-year lows in August.

The five lenders said to be receiving the stimulus are the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China and Bank of Communications.

The move was

China manufacturing growth hits six-month high in June

China's manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace for six months in June, suggesting that recent stimulus moves have started to have an impact.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 51, from 50.8 in May.

The PMI is a key indicator of the sector's health and a reading above 50 shows expansion.

China, the world's second-largest economy, has taken various steps in recent months including cutting taxes for small firms to help boost growth.

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