China's manufacturing growth rises in April

As fresh evidence of China's better performance in the manufacturing sector, its manufacturing growth continued to rise in April, official data showed Thursday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector rose to 50.4 last month, up from 50.3 in March, Xinhua reported citing a statement jointly released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

This is the second consecutive monthly uptick of the widely watched data. The index began to climb in March after three months of decline.

A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while above 50 signals expansion.

The sub-index for new orders gained 0.6 in April from the previous month to 51.2, the statement said.

The sub-index for production dipped 0.2 in April from the prior month to 52.5. The sub-index for employment remained flat at 48.3, the statement noted.

The latest index shows that China's market demand is improving, but the momentum of the recovery is not strong, said Zhao Qinghe, a senior analyst with the NBS.