REPEAT: MNI: China CFLP Dec Mfg PMI Slides to 51.6

Repeats Story Initially Transmitted at 01:16 GMT Dec 31/20:16 EST Dec 30

     BEIJING (MNI) - China's official purchasing managers' index for

manufacturing, jointly released by the China Federation of Logistics and

Purchasing (CFLP) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), fell to 51.6 in

December from 51.8 in November, the agencies announced Sunday. 

     The December reading matched expectations, with the MNI survey median

forecast at 51.6.

     The reading means that activity in the Chinese manufacturing sector

continued to rise at a slightly slower pace than the month before. It was also

the 17th consecutive month that the reading has been above 50, the break-even

mark. 

     Three out of the five major sub-indexes saw stronger sentiment in December.

          --The manufacturing new orders index fell to 53.4 from 53.6 in

November 

          --The manufacturing output index fell to 54.0 from 54.3 in November

          --The input price index rose to 62.2 from 59.8 in November

          --The business expectations index rose to 58.7 from 57.9 in November

          --The new export orders index rose to 51.9 from 50.8 in November

     The official services PMI also rose to 55 in December from 54.8 in

November, the NBS said. 

--MNI Beijing Bureau; tel: +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: beijing@mni-news.com

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

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