China's service sector activity slightly recovered in December, an official monthly survey showed on Thursday.
The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector rebounded to 54.1 in December from 53.9 in November, according to a report released jointly by the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
However, the reading was still above the 50-percent boom-bust line, which separates expansion from contraction on a monthly basis. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 represents contraction.
The PMI samples 1,200 non-manufacturing enterprises of various sizes nationwide. It tracks activity in sectors including services, construction, software, aviation, railway transport and real estate.
The sub-index for construction industry fell to 57.1 in December from 58.9 in November, while sub-index for services rose to 53.3 in December from 52.6 in November.
New order sub-index for the entire non-manufacturing sector rose to 50.5 in December from 50.1 in November.