BEIJING, Nov 28 Reuters China39;s factory activity is expected to have contracted further this month, piling pressure on the economy as COVID restrictions hit production and exports fell despite a flurry of stimulus policies, a Reuters poll showed on Monday.

The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager39;s Index PMI was forecast at 49.0 in November from 49.2 in October, below the 50point mark which separates contraction from growth, according to the median forecast of economists polled by Reuters.

The world39;s secondlargest economy experienced a broad slowdown in October, with exports falling, inflation slowing and a property slump deepening.

To prop up the faltering economy, the central bank last week announced it would cut banks39; required reserve ratio RRR for the second time this year, and rolled out a rescue package outlining 16 steps to support the distressed property sector.

Authorities have also introduced a range of other measures this year in an attempt to revive growth, but the recovery has been stifled by COVID woes, the Ukraine war and a slowdown in the global economy.

Beijing this month also eased some of the nation39;s COVID curbs, though local authorities in some Chinese cities tightened restrictions to contain record high daily infections.

Mounting public anger over China39;s stringent zeroCOVID policy sparked rare protests over the weekend.

This would lead to an increased level of uncertainty over the degree of political risk in China,…