China shakes off coronavirus lockdown pain, June PMI rises to 50.2

China’s factory and service sectors snapped three months of activity decline in June, business surveys showed on Thursday, as authorities lifted a strict Covid lockdown in Shanghai, reviving output and consumer spending.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 50.2 in June from 49.6 in May, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

While activity has sped up since various Covid lockdowns imposed since March have been rolled back, headwinds persist, including a still subdued property market, soft consumer spending and fear of any recurring waves of infections.

A sub-index for production stood at 52.8, the highest since March 2021, while