China39;s Caixin PMI shrinks in July, in line with official survey
Japan39;s July activity contracts for 1st time in 3 months
South Korea39;s factory activity expansion slows in July

TOKYO, Aug 1 Reuters A slump in China39;s manufacturing activity led a generally weak performance for Asia39;s factories last month as business owners grappled with tepid demand, private surveys showed on Thursday, raising risks of an underpowered economic recovery in the region.

Manufacturing activity shrank in Japan and expanded at a slower pace in South Korea due partly to soft domestic demand and rising input costs, the surveys showed, adding to the gloom from a contraction in China39;s factory activity.

China39;s CaixinSP Global manufacturing purchasing managers39; index PMI fell to 49.8 in July from 51.8 the previous month, the private survey showed, the lowest reading since October last year and missing analysts39; forecasts of 51.5.

The reading, which mostly covers smaller, exportoriented firms, was in line with an official PMI survey on Wednesday showing manufacturing activity slipped to a fivemonth low.

Looking ahead, we expect a period of below trend global growth to weigh on manufacturing activity across Asia for the rest of this year, said Shivaan Tandon, markets economist at Capital Economics.

Japan39;s final au Jibun Bank Japan manufacturing purchasing managers39; index PMI fell to 49.1 in July from 50.0 in June, slipping below the 50.0 threshold that separates…