China's non-manufacturing PMI down in August

The purchasing managers' index for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 52.6 in August, down from 53.8 in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

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

The construction sector maintained steady expansion in August driven by rapid progress in infrastructure construction and the growth of market demand. The sub-index for business activities in the sector stood at 56.5, remaining in a high expansion zone.

The service sector reported a slower recovery in August due to factors including the epidemic and high temperatures. The sub-index for business activities declined 0.9 percentage points from last month to 51.9, remaining in the expansion range, noted NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

Wednesday's data also showed that the PMI for China's manufacturing sector came in at 49.4 in August, up from 49 in July.