Factory activity improves in May

China's factory activity improved in May with the government's effective measures to contain COVID-19 outbreaks and gradual resumption of work and production in hard-hit regions, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

The official purchasing managers index for China's manufacturing sector was at 49.6 in May, an improvement over April's reading of 47.4, data from NBS showed, staying in the contraction territory for the third consecutive month. 

A PMI reading above 50 points to expansion, while below 50 signals contraction.

Zhao Qinghe, a senior statistician at NBS, said while China's economy has been severely impacted by the pandemic and changes in the international situation, work and production have resumed gradually in hard-hit regions.

A sub-index for raw material costs fell to 55.8 in May, from 64.2 a month earlier, while a gauge of new orders came in at 48.2, compared with 42.6 in April. And the sub-index for production came in at 49.7, from 44.4 a month earlier.

China's non-manufacturing PMI was at 47.8, after 41.9 in April. And the country's official composite PMI, which includes both manufacturing and services activity, came in at 48.4, compared with 42.7 in April, according to NBS.