April 29, 2026 at 8:53 pm HONG KONG (AP) — China’s factory activity expanded for a second straight month in April, according to an official survey on Thursday, as its economy remained resilient despite higher energy prices due to the Iran war. The official manufacturing purchasing managers index slipped slightly to 50.3 from 50.4 in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, better than what economists had expected. Measured on a scale between 0 and 100, a reading above 50 reflects expansion. The new orders sub-index slowed to 50.6 from 51.6 in March, although the sub-index on production rose slightly to 51.5. Higher oil prices have so far not weighed on industrial activity in China, Leah Fahy, senior China economist at Capital Economics wrote in a research note this week, and the recent acceleration of industrial activity appears to have been driven by strong export demand.…