BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) of China's manufacturing sector registered a one-year high in March, signaling the resilience and upward momentum of the world's second-largest economy despite global headwinds.

With the PMI of March at 50.5, the country's manufacturing sector has shown significant improvement, thanks to a combination of seasonal recovery, policy stimulus, and structural upgrades.

The March PMI was underpinned by expansion in both production and demand. Notably, the performance of the equipment manufacturing, high-tech manufacturing and consumer goods industries has rebounded over the past two months. Additionally, the PMI of small enterprises jumped 3.3 percentage points to 49.6 in March, the highest in 11 months. These developments indicate a rise in market confidence and the effectiveness of pro-growth policy measures.

The PMI data for March suggests that the Chinese economy has maintained stable operations, with its recovery and upward trend further consolidated. Last year, China's economy grew by 5 percent, ranking among the top of the world's major economies in terms of growth rate while contributing around 30 percent to global economic growth.

In the first two months of this year, China's economic performance showed a steady start, with growth rates in industrial production, consumption, and investment all surpassing last year's full-year figures. This trend reflects a continuation of the upward trajectory in the fourth quarter of last year.

The sustained momentum is consolidated by enhanced sci-tech innovation, which is key to developing new quality productive forces, replacing old growth drivers with new ones, and securing long-term development.

The role of consumption is to be further leveraged in expanding domestic demand -- a top priority of the government. Bright spots in the consumer market, such as movies, the ice and snow economy, and tourism, highlight the huge potential of the economy. A special action plan that includes 30 measures to expand consumption, released in mid-March by the central authorities, will further boost consumption vitality.

China regards foreign businesses as important participants in its modernization drive. Since the start of this year, China has secured a raft of major foreign investment projects, with planned investment totaling 33 billion U.S. dollars. The country will remain an ideal, secure, and promising destination for foreign investors.

With its pro-growth measures continuing to deliver good outcomes, the Chinese economy is poised to sustain its uplifting momentum, advance on the path of high-quality development, and continue to be a major engine of global economic growth.