Update: China's non-manufacturing PMI picks up in April

People have meal at a shopping mall in east China's Shanghai, March 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Fei)

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 53.2 in April, up from 52.3 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics said Thursday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below it reflects contraction.

The sub-index for business activities in the construction sector went up 4.6 points from the previous month to 59.7, while that for the service sector stood at 52.1, up 0.3 points from March.

Driven by policies in advancing work and business restoration as well as expanding consumption, most service activities steadily resumed, said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

Business activities in the retails sector has been above 60 for two months in a row as the restoration of business operation accelerates, according to Zhao. ■