China's factory activity slows in February amid national holiday

A worker is producing textiles for export at a wool spinning enterprise in Huaian City, Jiangsu Province, China on February 28, 2021. /VCG

China's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in February as workers took break during the country's biggest national holiday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.6 in February, down 0.7 from a month earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Sunday.

The official PMI missedReuter's forecast of 51.1 and marked four consecutive months of slower expansion since November, but remains above the 50-point mark indicating growth since last March.

Graphic by CGTN's Yin Yating

China's seven-day holiday Spring Festival, which started on February 11, has greatly impacted factory production, said Zhao Qinghe, senior statistician in NBS.

Despite the grave and complex challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, China's economy grew by 2.3 percent last year.

(CGTN)