The index went up further to 52.4 in September, the highest level since May 2012. The index readings in recent months show that the manufacturing sector and the economy in China have continued to improve.

It is noteworthy to recognize the discrepancy by size of enterprises. After dropping slightly from 52.9 in July to 52.8 in August, the PMI of 'large enterprises' rose to 53.8 in September, indicating that the growth in 'large enterprises' has accelerated recently.