Employees work on an aluminum-equipment assembly line in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. [Photo by Cao Jianxiong/for China Daily]
China's official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 49.7 in July, up from 49.4 in June, according to a statement of the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.
The non-manufacturing business activity index stood at 53.7 in July, compared with 54.2 in the previous month.
The composite index, which combines results of manufacturing and non-manufacturing surveys, came in at 53.1 in July, up from 53 in June.
A reading above 50 indicates activity expansion while one below that mark means contraction.
