The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 49.8 in August, up 0.6 points from July, pointing to a clear improvement in manufacturing momentum, official data showed Monday.

China's official manufacturing PMI rose to 49.8 in August from 49.2, beating forecasts but marking a second straight month of contraction amid

The PMI index was up last month to 49.8 from 49.2 in July, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics.