Manufacturing activity in China showed cautious growth in May after shrinking a month earlier.
Market researchers Markit and Caixin report this based on their purchasing managers index.
The sizeable Chinese industry sees demand picking up in its own country now that the corona crisis has peaked there, but foreign demand is still under pressure due to the virus outbreak in important export markets.
The indicator rose slightly last month to a level of 50.7 from 49.4 in April. A score of 50 or more indicates growth, below that shrinkage.
The Chinese government’s official purchasing managers index, which came out on Sunday, reached 50.6, which is slightly lower than a month earlier.
Government figures focus more on large Chinese state-owned companies, while Caixin and Markit concentrate more on smaller private companies.