China's purchasing managers' index slowed to an 8-month low as the manufacturing sector cooled, official data showed Saturday, according to dpa. The sub-index for production in February stood at 52.6 per cent, down 0.4 points from January. The new orders category 0.4 lost percentage points to 50.5 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. A figure above 50 generally means a positive outlook in the sector, while below 50 is taken as a negative reading.