BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese manufacturing expanded for a fifth straight month in April in data that analysts say indicate the country's economic activity is picking up moderately.
The state-affiliated China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said Tuesday that its purchasing managers index, or PMI, rose 0.2 percentage points to 53.3 percent in April, up from March's 53.1 and February's 51.0. A reading above 50 signifies expansion.
China's economic growth declined to 8.9 percent in the final quarter of last year after Beijing hiked interest rates and tightened other controls to cool inflation.
Chinese leaders reversed course in December and promised more bank lending to help companies cope with the slump in global demand, but changes have been gradual.
