China's Factory, Service Sectors Expand

China's factory activity snapped three months of decline in June, as authorities lifted a Covid lockdown in Shanghai, buoying growth in production and new orders, while the rebound in services sector pressed on.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.2 in June from 49.6 in May, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Thursday.

The 50-point mark separates contraction from growth on a monthly basis.

Shanghai, located at the heart of the Yangtze River Delta manufacturing area, ended a city-wide lockdown on June 1, allowing small factories in the region to resume production. However, social distancing rules such as those on in-restaurant dining were still in place throughout June.

A sub-index for production stood at 52.8, the highest since March 2021, while new orders also returned to expansionary territory for the first time in four months, although growth remained weak.

"Even though the manufacturing sector continued to recover this month, 49.3 percent of the companies reported orders were insufficient," said Zhu Hong, senior statistician at NBS. "Soft market demand is still the main problem facing the manufacturing industry."

After two years of record exports, Chinese manufacturers are grappling with high raw material prices, reduced profit margins, competition from overseas rivals and slowing global demand.

The official non-manufacturing PMI in June improved to 54.7 from 47.8 in May. The services industry staged an impressive rebound, the fastest in 13 months, with sectors that were hard hit by Covid curbs catching up with previously depressed demand.

In order to stabilise growth and rein in unemployment, the State Council recently announced a broad package of economic support measures, and Premier Li Keqiang has vowed to achieve reasonable economic growth in the second quarter.

China's official composite PMI, which includes both manufacturing and services activity, stood at 54.1, compared with 48.4 in May. (Reuters)