Feng Li | Getty Images
Workers assemble televisions on the production line of Tianle Group Co., Ltd on July 3, 2012 in Shengzhou of Zhejiang Province, China.
A survey focused on small and mid-size manufacturing in China beat expectations on Thursday.
The Caixin/Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index for January came in at 51.5.
Economists polled by Reuters expected the private Caixin/Markit PMI to come in at 51.3 in January versus 51.5 in December.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below that signals contraction.
The Caixin/Markit survey focuses on small and mid-size businesses in China and comes after the world’s second-largest economy reported official manufacturing PMI on Wednesday that hit an eight-month low.
The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index for the month missed expectations, coming in at 51.3.
China’s economy surprised on the upside in 2017, but economists expect a managed slowdown this year to hit growth.
The Chinese government is cracking down on high debt levels and heavily polluting industries while engineering a transition toward a services and consumption-led economy.
The official non-manufacturing PMI released on Wednesday expanded to 55.3 in January from 55 in December.
Caixin/Markit is set to release its China services PMI reading next Monday.
