China's manufacturing sector sees stronger momentum in June

BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- China's manufacturing sector gathered steam this month as more industries returned to growth and high-tech and consumer goods production remained vibrant, official data showed Monday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector rose for the second straight month to 49.7 in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. The reading was 49.5 in May and 49 in April.

Of 21 surveyed industries, 11 logged expansion this month, up from 7 in May. The PMIs for the manufacturing of equipment, high-tech products and consumer goods have stayed in the expansion zone for two consecutive months, standing at 51.4, 50.9, and 50.4, respectively.

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 50.5 in June, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, and the general PMI climbed from 50.4 to 50.7. As all three major indices rose, the overall economic climate continued to improve, NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said.