The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector was at 50.1 percent in December of the current year, down 0.2 percentage points compared to November, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
In the given month, the production index for China's manufacturing sector was down 0.3 percentage points month on month to 52.2 percent, while the overall new order index for the sector decreased by 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous month to 50.4 percent. In December, the new export order index for the Chinese manufacturing sector increased by 0.7 percentage points month on month to 49.1 percent.
The raw material inventory index for China's manufacturing sector was at 47.5 percent in December, down 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous month.
Also in December, the employment index for China's manufacturing sector stood at 48.1 percent, down 0.1 percentage points, while the supplier delivery time index for the sector in question was at 49.9 percent, down 0.4 percentage points month on month.