TURNING SUNSHINE INTO NUTRITION: A greenhouse installed with LED ecological glass is on show in Beijing on May 9. Developed by Beijing-based Aobo Group, this type of glass can turn the sun's UV light into light that is most conducive to plant growth (JIN LIANGKUAI)

Non-Manufacturing Sector Shrinks

The purchasing managers index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector stood at 54.5 percent in April, down 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said on May 3.

The non-manufacturing PMI dropped in April from March, but still came in above the demarcation line, indicating stable growth for non-manufacturing economic activity, said Cai Jin, Vice Chairman of CFLP.

The sub-index for service business activity stood at 52.5 percent in April, down 1.4 percentage points from the previous month. Within the same category, the index for construction shrank 0.1 percentage points from the previous month to 62.4 percent.

The sub-index for new orders lost 1.1 percentage points from a month earlier to 50.9 percent. In that category, the index for new orders in the service sector fell 1.6 percentage points to 49.8 percent.

The sub-index for intermediate input prices lost 4.2 percentage points to reach 51.1 percent in April. This indicates that non-manufacturing enterprises are optimistic about their business in the next three months, said the NBS.

The sub-index for prices stood at 47.6 percent in April, down 2.4 percentage points from the previous month. In the category, the index for the service sector declined 3.2 percentage points to 46.7 percent.

But the sub-index for business outlook climbed 0.1 percentage point month on month to 62.5 percent.

The non-manufacturing PMI is based on a survey of about 1,200 companies in 27 industries, including transportation, real estate, catering and software development.

Foreign Trade Rebound

China's foreign trade volume grew by 15.7 percent year on year in April, faster than the 12.1 percent increase in March, according to customs data released on May 8.

The General Administration of Customs, said in a statement that total exports and imports stood at $356 billion in April. Exports rose 14.7 percent year on year to $187 billion, while imports surged 16.8 percent to $169 billion, the data showed.

China saw a trade surplus of $18.16 billion in April, narrowing 1.7 percent from a year earlier. In the first four months of the year, total foreign trade expanded 14 percent from a year ago to $1.33 trillion, while trade surplus stood at $61 billion.