China's central bank has temporarily suspended some foreign-exchange businesses of several foreign banks until the end of March. Included among the suspended services was liquidation of spot positions for clients and some other services related to cross-border, onshore and offshore businesses, sources told Reuters. The People's Bank of China(PBOC) sent a notice to the affected foreign banks last week, they said. The move might have the effect of helping stabilise the yuan's exchange rate and cushioning capital outflows due to the Chinese currency's recent depreciation. Activity in China's manufacturing sector is expected to have contracted for a fifth straight month in December, a Reuters poll showed, likely consigning the world's second-largest economy to its slowest annual growth in a quarter of a century. The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index(PMI) is forecast to inch up to 49.7 from 49.6 in November, according to a median forecast of 27 economists in a Reuters poll. A reading below 50 points suggests a contraction in activity, while a reading above indicates an expansion on a monthly basis.