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China’s services activity growth accelerated in March as new business rose at the quickest pace in three months, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday, a sign sentiment was staging a tentative recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.

In a sign staging a tentative recovery in the world’s second-largest economy, China witnessed an acceleration in services activity growth in March this year with new business rising at the quickest pace in three months, as per a private-sector survey released on Wednesday.

Complementing the better-than-expected manufacturing surveys, this data also suggested that segments of China’s economy are gaining traction in the first quarter.

The Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) saw a slight uptick to 52.7 in March from 52.5 in February, maintaining its expansionary trend for the 15th consecutive month, surpassing the crucial 50-mark.

The acceleration in new business expansion attributed to improving underlying demand and initiatives to bolster new orders, marked the swiftest pace since December last year.

This uptrend also bolstered business confidence, with the sub-index of future activity registering an increase for the first time in three months. There’s optimism surrounding the potential impact of new product lines, expansion initiatives, and augmented client budgets on sales growth.