BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s giant manufacturing sector strengthened further in October, two surveys showed on Friday, though mixed signals in important areas including export orders suggest any recovery in the world’s second-largest economy will be gradual. The overall message of stabilization is good news for the government as it readies a series of economic reforms at the Communist Party’s third plenary meeting from November 9-12. China’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reached an 18-month high of 51.4 in October, beating a forecast of 51.2 in a Reuters poll [ID:nL3N0IJ3MW]. A separate HSBC/Markit final PMI rose to a seven-month high of 50.9. Both surveys were above the 50 line separating growth from contraction, but gave differing readings on new orders and new export orders — falling in the official PMI and rising in the HSBC/Markit PMI. “The PMI data for October shows a continued increase, indicating a preliminary stabilization in […]