The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector was at 51.3 percent in January of the current year, down 0.3 percentage points compared to December, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
In January, the production index for China's manufacturing sector was down 0.5 percentage points month on month to 53.5 percent, while the new order index for the sector decreased by 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous month to 52.6 percent.
The raw material inventory index for China's manufacturing sector was at 48.8 percent in January, up 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous month.
Also in January, the employment index for China's manufacturing sector stood at 48.3 percent, down 0.2 percentage points, while the supplier delivery time index for the sector in question was at 49.2 percent, down 0.1 percentage point, both month on month.