Upgrade gains momentum

High-tech, equipment manufacturing and consumer goods see robust growth

While the contracted manufacturing sector in October signaled continuous downward pressure, a mild improvement of the Chinese economy could still be expected over the rest of the year, on the back of policy support, especially on the fiscal side, analysts said.

The headline purchasing managers index of the manufacturing sector, which gauges the growth momentum of factory activity in China, slipped to 49.3 last month from 49.8 in September, registering the sixth straight month of contraction, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.