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(Yicai Global) April 30 -- Stock markets on the Chinese mainland continued their slump as markets opened today after official data suggested the nation's manufacturing sector expanded slower than expected this month.
The Shanghai Composite Index opened down 0.32 percent at 3,052.62 while the Shenzhen Component Index slipped 0.51 percent to 9,573.41. The ChiNext Price Index, which tracks growth enterprises listed in Shenzhen, began 0.22 percent lower at 1,612.11.
The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index for April was 50.1, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics. Market forecasts had expected growth to remain on par with last month's 50.5.
Editor: James Boynton