Growth in Chinese manufacturing activity slowed slightly last month, Xinhua reports.
The Chinese state-run news agency quotes the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics as a saying the
official manufacturing purchasing managers index dipped to 51.6 points last month from 51.8 in November. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below represents contraction.
The report quotes a senior statistician of the bureau,
Zhao Qinghe, as saying the manufacturing PMI level last month was about average for last year, indicating that the growth in activity was sturdy.
The non-manufacturing PMI rose to 55 points last month from 54.8 in November, Xinhua says.
