A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.
In February, the sub-index measuring purchase prices of major raw materials rose by 3.6 percentage points to 60. The sub-index for prices at the factory gate was 54.1, up 3.2 percentage points from January, an official news agency reported.
The sub-index for production reached 50.4, down 0.5 percentage points from a month ago but has remained in the expansion area for four consecutive months.
The data also showed that the PMI for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 51.6 in February, up from 51.1 in January.
Price pressures also remained muted, providing leeway for policymakers to add more stimulus to address the overall weakness of the economy and a continued drop in employment, London-based IHS Markit said.
New orders rose, climbing at the fastest rate since last June, hinting at a more robust increase in production in March. However, new export orders continued to fall sharply, albeit less so than in January (which had seen the biggest drop in overseas demand for 20 months), suggesting the manufacturing sector remains heavily reliant on domestic demand as exports continue to act as a drag, it added.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
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