China's manufacturing sector picks up pace in March

China's manufacturing sector continued to expand this month as business production accelerated amid sustained economic recovery, official data showed Monday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.5 in March, up 0.3 percentage points from February, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement. The reading reached the highest notch since March 2024.

NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said the manufacturing PMI has climbed for two months in a row, indicating continued improvement in industrial sentiment.

A PMI reading above 50 reflects expansion, while suggesting contraction if below 50.

Monday's data also showed that the non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.8 in March, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous month, and the general PMI climbed from 51.1 to 51.4.