MINYANVILLE ORIGINAL Positive manufacturing data from China lifted stocks today while the fiscal cliff negotiations in Congress drag on. Index futures are pointing toward a slightly higher opening. Dow (INDEXDJX:.DJI) futures are up  0.44% at 13 065.00. S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) futures rose 0.49% to 1 421.40 and Nasdaq (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) futures climbed 0.67% to 2 693.75. China's manufacturing PMI showed growth for the first time in over a year last month according to HSBC. The index rose to 50.5 from 49.5. (Readings over 50 signal expansion of the sector.) The government's official PMI was slightly higher at 50.6. Manufacturing input ...