China's manufacturing sees hefty rebound in Aug

China's manufacturing activities posted a strong recovery in August, offering further signs that the world's second largest economy is walking out of the shadows of protracted slowdown.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector rose to 51.0 percent in August from 50.3 percent in July, marking the second monthly expansion in a row, and the highest reading this year, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said on Sunday.

The 70 basis points expansion also represents the biggest increase since January. In the months prior to August, the data had swayed back and forth.

Zhao Qinghe, a senior statistician with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, the new data shows the manufacturing activities have stronger growth impetus, and the economy is firming in a more evident way.

A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while anything above signals expansion.