China's manufacturing PMI up to 51.1 in July

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector rose to 51.1 in July from 50.9 in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction. It is the fifth month in a row that the figure remained in the expansion territory.

Commenting on the sustained expansion, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said: "Policies of balancing epidemic control and economic development further yield tangible fruit, as economic vitality continues recovering and enterprises keep registering better operational outcomes."

Zhao cited sub-indices of the manufacturing PMI as evidence of economic recovery across the board.

The sub-index for production edged up 0.1 points to 54 in July. New orders picked up 0.3 points to 51.7, rising for three consecutive months. While the sub-index measuring new export orders gained 5.8 points to 48.4.

"Enterprises stay optimistic about recovery in their industries," Zhao said.