China's Purchasing Manager's Index, a major indicator of the strength of the manufacturing sector, rose 0.9 percentage points to 55.2% in October, according to statistics released by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing on Sunday.

The growth is 0.6 percentage points more than that of September.

The index stayed above 50% for the eighth consecutive month since March, when the index rebounded to 52.4%.

Based on surveys directed at purchasing and supply managers of more than 700 manufacturers in China, the PMI measures the economic performance of the country. A PMI reading above 50% suggests expansion in the manufacturing sector, while a PMI below 50% indicates shrinking.

The PMI consists of 11 indices that measure economic performance.

The production index rose to 59.3% in October, the highest level since May, while the new order index rose 1.7 percentage points to 58.5%.

The new export order index grew 1.2 percentage points from the previous month to 54.5%, while the import index rose 2.1 percentage points to 52.8%, the highest level since April.