BEIJING - China's manufacturing sector expanded at a slower pace in June, official data showed Saturday.

The country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index came in at 51.5 this month, decelerating from 51.9 in May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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

The June figure was higher than an average reading of 51.3 for the first half of this year, according to the NBS.

"The fundamentals of the manufacturing sector are basically sound," NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said.

Sub-indices for production and new orders in June both stayed above the average reading for the first half, indicating steady growth in both production and demand, according to Zhao.

The NBS data also showed that the non-manufacturing PMI edged up from 54.9 in May to 55 in June, while the composite PMI output index came in at 54.4, down from 54.6 in May.