PMI unchanged in December

China's manufacturing activity expanded in December at the same pace as November.

The official data adds to signs that the world's second largest economy is emerging from a recent slumber.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reached 50.6 in December, unchanged from the previous month.

The PMI is a widely watched barometer of the health of China's economy.

And a reading above 50 indicates expansion while anything below points to contraction.

The result, the highest since April, marked the third straight month the index has shown growth.

... suggesting a trend of moderate economic recovery and a positive start for the new year's economy.

And the steady strengthening in China's manufacturing sector, and improvements in areas including broader industrial production and retail sales, have spurred optimism that the country's economic slowdown has bottomed out.

Growth hit a more than three-year low of 7.4 percent in the third quarter to September, though data for the October-December fourth quarter has led to expectations of a pick-up.