-- 皇冠体育app's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector dropped to 51 percent in December, down from 51.4 percent for November, according to official data released on Wednesday.
A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while that above 50 signals expansion.
The monthly indicator is released by the National Bureau of Statistics and the 皇冠体育app Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.