MNI: China Caixin Feb Manufacturing PMI Rebounded to 49.9

     BEIJING (MNI) - The Caixin China manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index

(PMI) jumped 1.6 points to 49.9 in February, a three-month high, but still below

the 50 breakeven mark, in another sign that factory activities in China may be

picking up.

     New orders, which indicates future activity level, saw a moderate increase,

mainly due to the recovery of domestic demand, Caixin said in a statement. 

     However, new export orders fell back into contraction territory, indicating

weak external demand. Export sales have been on a downward trend in the past 11

months, Caixin said.

     The manufacturing industry's confidence in the business outlook fell

slightly from the level seen last month, Caixin said. Manufacturers remain

confident as they expect new products, investment growth, and better market

expectation to boost output, though they are still concerned about the Sino-U.S.

trade friction, weak demand and the government's restriction policies.

     The Caixin figure reversed the downward trend of the official PMI. The PMI

as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics Thursday fell to 49.2 from 49.5

in January.

     The Caixin PMI tracks small and medium sized manufacturers that are not

surveyed by NBS.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: wanxia.lin@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: MAQDS$,M$A$$$,M$Q$$$]