Manufacturing activity across much of Asia continued sliding last month and is widely expected to worsen amid the persistent global slowdown.

Factories from China to Indonesia suffered output declines in February, according to surveys released yesterday by data monitoring firm Markit.

The regional downturn points to a wider global malaise, as economies such as the United States and Europe are still not strong enough to help lift world growth. Economists say pressure is mounting for governments to ramp up spending in support of ailing economies, instead of relying largely on monetary policy as they did in the past.

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