MNI BRIEF: China February PMI Rises Back To Expansion Zone

China's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index rose by 1.1 points to 50.2 in February, back above the breakeven 50 mark again to hit a three-month high, as manufacturers resumed production following the Spring Festival, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Saturday.

The production and new orders sub-indices increased by 2.7 and 1.9 points to 52.5 and 51.1, both rising to the expansion range.

The non-manufacturing PMI registered 50.4, up 0.2 points from the previous month. The business activity sub-index for the service sector edged down by 0.3 points to 50.0. Business activity in retail, accommodation, and catering, had declined significantly as the holiday effect faded.