BEIJING - The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 49.8 in September, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous month, official data showed Tuesday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.

"The figure showed that in September, production activities in the manufacturing sector accelerated, with the overall business climate continuing to improve," said Huo Lihui, a chief statistician with the National Bureau of Statistics.

The sub-index for production stood at 51.9, up 1.1 percentage points from August and hitting a six-month high.

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On the demand side, the sub-index for new orders came in at 49.7, up from 49.5 in the previous month.

Some key sectors maintained growth momentum, with PMI for equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing standing at 51.9 and 51.6, respectively.

Tuesday's data also showed a more positive market outlook, with the sub-index for production and business activity expectations reaching 54.1, up from 53.7 in August.

"This marks the third consecutive month of growth for the sub-index, indicating that manufacturing companies are upbeat on market development," Huo said. 

Non-manufacturing PMI at 50 

Official data also showed that the PMI for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 50 in September, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous month.

"The total business activity in the non-manufacturing sector remained broadly stable," said Huo.

The sub-index for the service sector stood at 50.1, remaining in expansion territory.

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Business activity indices for postal, telecom, radio, television, and satellite transmission services, as well as currency and financial services, stood above 60, indicating rapid expansion.

In contrast, as the boost from the summer travel season receded, business activity indices for industries such as catering, culture, sports, and entertainment were below the boom-bust line. The business expectation index for the service sector stood at a relatively high level of 56.3, showing service enterprises are optimistic about the market.

The business activity index for the construction sector came in at 49.3 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month. The business activity expectation index registered 52.4 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the previous month, suggesting a slight boost in confidence among construction firms regarding near-term market development.