CRI听力:China's May Manufacturing PMI Improves, Non-manufacturing PMI Dips

Latest official data shows China's manufacturing business activity continued to improve in May.

The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), a key measure of factory activity in China, posted at 50.2 last month, up 0.1 percentage points from April.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Senior analyst with the National Bureau of Statistics Zhao Qinghe attributes the improvement to a string of easing measures by the central government.

"The Party Central Committee and the State Council introduced a series of policies and measures to boost a steady economic growth. These policies and measures are taking effect. For example, both production and the market demand rebounded this month, and both the production index and the new orders index grew on a month-on-month basis. This is a major factor leading to the rise of this month's manufacturing PMI."

Meanwhile, stats show that service sector activity expanded in May, but at a slower pace than in previous months.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector fell to 53.2 last month, slightly lower than the figures in March and April.

Experts say growth in industries such as the Internet, software and information technology services, and retail trade contributed to the expansion.

However, the May figure marked the lowest ever reading since January of last year.