China's non-manufacturing sector expands faster in April

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China's non-manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace for a second consecutive month in April, official data showed Monday.

The sector's purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose from 54.6 in March to 54.8 this month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below that reflects contraction.

The pace of expansion was also higher than 54 for April 2017.

The sub-index for new orders rose one point from the previous month to 51.1, showing faster growth in market demand.

Sub-indices for intermediary prices, sales prices and business outlook all increased from the previous month.

The service sector, which accounts for more than half of the country's GDP, showed sound momentum, with the sub-reading up 0.2 point from March to 53.8.

Faster expansion was also seen in air transportation, courier services, accommodation, telecommunications and software, NBS said.

The NBS said that the manufacturing sector PMI came in at 51.4 this month, down from 51.5 in March.