Quality inspectors check a new-energy vehicle in an automobile manufacturing workshop in Yibin, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Qiong)

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.1 in September, up from 49.4 in August, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Friday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.