China's factory activity improves slightly in May

China's factory activity gauge improved marginally in May, but was still below the 50-point mark that separates contraction from expansion, official data showed on Saturday.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's official purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector came in at 49.5 in May, up from 49 in April. The figure remained in contraction for a second consecutive month in May.

Zhao Qinghe, an NBS statistician, explained that May's manufacturing uptick was mainly supported by a recovery in supply, with improvement in the subindex for production.

The sub-index for production was 50.7 in May versus 49.8 in April, while the gauge for new orders came in at 49.8 in May, up from 49.2 in April, the NBS reported. Industries such as agricultural and sideline products, special purpose machinery, as well as railway, ship, aerospace and other transport equipment registered a rapid growth of production and demand, witnessing the two sub-indexes standing above 54 this month.

NBS data showed manufacturers expressing optimism and confidence, with the gauge for manufacturers' expectations for production and operation standing at 52.5 in May versus 52.1 in April.

China's non-manufacturing PMI, which includes subindexes for service sector activity and construction, came in at 50.3 in May, down from 50.4 in April. Official services PMI meanwhile rose to 50.2 in May from 50.1 in April.

The country's official composite PMI, which encompasses both manufacturing and non-manufacturing activities, rose from 50.2 in April to 50.4 in May, remaining in the expansion territory.