China's manufacturing activities expand faster in March
The purchasing managers' index for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.5 in March, up from 49.2 in February, the National Bureau of Statistics said Sunday.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.
NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe attributed the monthly increase in the manufacturing PMI to accelerated production activities and improved domestic demand.
The sub-index for production, a major factor used in calculating PMI, rose to six-month high at 52.7 in March, up 3.2 percentage points from February.
The sub-index for new orders went up 1 percentage point from February to 51.6 in March, the highest in half a year, showing growing momentum in market orders.