China's official manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in September, ending two months of contraction, and services also returned to growth. A private survey hit a five-month high, but input prices jumped and hiring stayed weak.

Japan raised second-quarter growth to an annualised 1.4%, but flat consumption and falling investment showed domestic demand remained fragile.

China’s August goods trade accelerated, with dollar-denominated exports up 25%, imports up 28.2% and the monthly surplus widening to $119.09 billion.

China’s official manufacturing PMI improved to 49.8 in August as production and new orders expanded, but weak services, construction and small firms showed that the recovery remains uneven.