BEIJING - China's manufacturing sector gathered steam this month as more industries returned to growth and high-tech and consumer goods production remained vibrant, official data showed Monday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector rose for the second straight month to 49.7 in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. The reading was 49.5 in May and 49 in April.

Of 21 surveyed industries, 11 logged expansion this month, up from 7 in May. The PMIs for the manufacturing of equipment, high-tech products and consumer goods have stayed in the expansion zone for two consecutive months, standing at 51.4, 50.9, and 50.4, respectively.

A PMI reading above 50 reflects expansion, while suggesting contraction if below 50.

Monday's data also showed that the non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.5 in June, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, and the general PMI climbed from 50.4 to 50.7. As all three major indices rose, the overall economic climate continued to improve, NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said.

The sub-index for the construction sector came in at 52.8 in June, up 1.8 percentage points from the previous month, according to the NBS.

The service sector continued to expand, with its sub-index standing at 50.1 in June, the data showed.

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Business activity indices in sectors related to postal services, telecommunications, broadcasting and television, satellite transmission services, internet software and information technology services, monetary and financial services, capital market services, and insurance are all above 55, indicating a relatively high level of prosperity.

In contrast, business activity indices for industries including retail, road transportation, air transportation, accommodation, catering, and real estate are below the boom-bust line.

The new orders index stood at 46.6 in June, an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous month, indicating a recovery in the market demand for the non-manufacturing sector, according to the NBS data.