China's non-manufacturing sector holds steady in April

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China's non-manufacturing activities eased pace but maintained steady expansion in April. 

The non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index came in at 54.3 this month, down from 54.8 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement Tuesday. 

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while below reflects contraction. "Steady momentum for the sector continues, as the index stood above the relatively high expansion range of 54 percent for the fourth consecutive month," said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe. 

The service sector recorded stable performance, with the sub-index measuring business activity in the industry standing at 53.3, down 0.3 percentage points from March.

Indices for sectors including water transport, air transport, postal industry, monetary and financial services, telecom and insurance all stood above 57, indicating robust business growth. 

Sub-index for new orders dropped 1.7 points from the previous month to 50.1, while sales prices edged down 0.5 points to 50.5, both above the threshold. 

The construction sector saw rapid growth, as infrastructure investments picked up, along with positive changes in the real estate market, Zhao said. 

The sub-index measuring business activity in the industry remained above the boom-bust line, though eased slightly to 60.1 in April. 

Sub-index for new orders in the construction sector came in at 54.6, indicating growing market demand.