Overall business production and operational activities in China expanded in September, with the official Composite PMI Output Index coming in at 50.7, versus 49.5 in August, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

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

The latest print beat the Trading Economics forecast of 50.1.

The index, which tracks the aggregate performance of both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, was driven by synchronized momentum between its two core components.

The manufacturing production index stood at 50.1, up from 49.8 in August, while the non-manufacturing business activity index came in at 50.2, up from 49 in the previous month.