BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector ended a three-month decline in June, indicating a positive shift towards improved factory activities, according to official data released Friday.
The PMI came in at 49 in June, up from 48.8 in May, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.
Among the 21 surveyed industries, 12 showed rising PMIs in June, up from 8 last month. According to NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe, this rise points to a better manufacturing climate.
Both production and demand situations have improved. The production index returned to the expansion territory and the new order index, although still below 50, also logged an increase. Specifically, automobile, railway and shipping equipment, and electric machinery sectors witnessed steady growth.
The burden on manufacturing businesses continued to ease as the proportion of respondents complaining of high raw material and logistics costs dropped for four straight months.
Large enterprises saw their PMI rise above the boom-and-bust line this month, and medium-sized businesses registered a higher index compared to May, although it is below 50. However, the reading for small firms has dropped in the contraction zone.
Major industries have maintained expansion as equipment and high-tech manufacturing picked up pace. Consumer goods manufacturers also reported stable performance.
Friday's data also showed that the country's non-manufacturing PMI stands at 53.2 this month as the service and construction sectors continued to see expansion. "The Chinese economy has maintained a recovery trend," Zhao said. ■
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