China's manufacturing activity down in April

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 47.4 in April, down from 49.5 in March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Saturday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.

The resurgence of domestic COVID-19 infections has weighed on China's factory activities and market demand, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said.

The sub-index for production stood at 44.4 in April, down 5.1 points from the previous month, and the sub-index for new orders stood at 42.6, down 6.2 points from March.

Saturday's data also showed the PMI for the non-manufacturing sector came in at 41.9 in April, down from 48.4 in March.