China's perceived buying conditions likely declined on a broad basis

In China, more specific questions on specific spending plans showed large declines in plans for shopping (-7.9%) entertainment spending (-6.7%)  dining out (-5.7% with a smaller 2.9% decline for western style fast food).  

The proportion of respondents indicating that their family plans to buy a car in the next 12 months rose to 17.3% from 14.4% in September, which compares to the long run average of 13.3%. 

The proportion indicating that they had made an online purchase in the last three months fell back to 53.1% from 62.8% in September, which was the highest reading since May 2014. Note that China's famed "Singles Day", the equivalent to the US' "Black Friday" annual online sales event, is coming up on November 11.

"The employment indicator declined by 6.7%m/m, to be down 5.7%y/y. That picture is consistent with the continued weakness in the labour-intensive export sector as well as the downward pressure operating on a range of blue collar domestic activities", says Westpac.