China's monthly index of manufacturing activity edged up to 50.4 per cent in April, 0.1 per cent above the March figure, dpa quoted officials as saying Thursday. It was the second consecutive rise in the widely watched purchasing managers' index, realeased by the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. The index began to climb in March after hitting an eight-month low of 50.2 in February, a drop from January's 50.5. The 50-per-cent mark denotes the divide between expansion and contraction of purchasing orders.
