China's manufacturing activity continues expanding in October

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China's manufacturing sector expanded at a slower but stable pace in October, according to official data released on Tuesday.

The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) came in at 51.6, increasing from 52.4 in September and 51.7 in August, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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

NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe mainly attributed the slowdown in expansion to a high base in September and influence from the week-long holiday.

"The growth in production and market demand eased," he said.

Meanwhile, factory activity in high energy consumption and heavy pollution softened as the government stepped up efforts to strengthen environmental protection. Non-metallic mineral products and oil refining went down markedly.

"Despite the retreat, the indicator was still 0.4 percentage points higher than that of a year ago and staying at the average level of this year," Zhao said, pointing to the impetus from high-end manufacturing and the production of consumer goods.

The manufacturing of automobiles, special equipment, electric apparatus, medical devices, food and beverage, textile and garment registered strong increases.

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Non-manufacturing PMI

China's non-manufacturing sector saw milder expansion in October, with the PMI at 54.3, down from 55.4 in September, according to NBS.

The service sector, which accounted for more than half of the country's GDP, continued steady growth, with the sector's business activity index standing at 53.5 in October, NBS data showed.

Spurred by the week-long National Day holiday earlier this month, industries such as accommodation, retail, railway and air transportation, logistics, tourism and Internet services witnessed relatively fast growth, according to NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

However, the business activity index for producer services dropped to 52.3 due to a slowdown in the expansion of the manufacturing sector last month, Zhao said.

The sub-index for the construction industry was 58.5, boosted by progress in the Belt and Road Initiative, which brought a fast rise in overseas orders, according to Zhao.

The sub-index for the overall business outlook stood at 60.6, indicating high market confidence, NBS data showed.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency