China’s PMI in Sept reaches peak since 2012

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China's manufacturing sector continued to expand in September, suggesting strong economic resilience against headwinds, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Saturday morning.

The country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index is at 52.4, up from 51.7 in August and hitting the highest level since May 2012, according to NBS data.

"The indicator showed a steady upward trend in the manufacturing sector," NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said, attributing the quickened expansion mainly to improving demand at both home and broad and booming high-tech industries.

Robust consumption in food, beverage and clothing ahead of an eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period also contributed to the performance, Zhao said.

But manufacturing activities at smaller Chinese enterprises registered a slower growth in September, according to Caixin survey which samples over 500 companies in China and mainly focuses on small and medium-sized firms.

Caixin China PMI stood at 51 for September, down from a six-month high of 51.6 in August, according to the survey conducted by financial information service provider Markit and sponsored by Caixin Media Co Ltd.

Saturday's data also shows that China's non-manufacturing sector grew at the fastest pace since June 2014 in September, with the official PMI standing at 55.4, up from 53.4 in August, according to NBS.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency