Manufacturing activity in Mainland China improved for the sixth consecutive month in January, showing signs the economy is stabilising, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

The state-run news agency reported the manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, was 51.3 last month. The index eased by 0.1 points from December’s reading but remained above 50, which indicates orders are expanding.

Chinese National Bureau of Statistics senior statistician Zhao Qinghe was quoted as saying the lower reading was due to decreased production and fewer new orders during the Chinese New Year holiday, which fell at the end of January.

The Mainland’s non-manufacturing PMI was 54.6 last month, an increase of 0.1 points from December.