China's manufacturing and service sector activities remained in the expansion zone for nine straight months as the country continued its recovery from the economic fallout of COVID-19.
The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 52.1 in November, up from 51.4 in October and representing the highest level of the year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Monday.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.
Commenting on the better-than-expected data, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said the improvements in these readings were a result of the country's efforts to coordinate epidemic control with social and economic development.
The "marked growth" of the November PMI, together with improvements in all sub-indexes, indicated greater vitality in the country's manufacturing sector and a faster pace of recovery, Zhao said.