China's manufacturing activity got a boost in October, official data showed on November 1.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI), a key gauge of manufacturing activity, rose to 50.2 percent in October from 49.8 percent in September, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. A level above 50 percent indicates expansion.

"I think the October PMI will help support our expectations for better economic perfor-mance in the fourth quarter than in the third," said Wang Jin, a macroeconomic analyst at Shanghai-based Guotai Junan Securities.

"Signs of stabilizing external demand, faster infrastructure investment and a thawing property market all bolstered a recovery in factory activity," he added.