China's purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector edged down to 51 this month but remained well within expansionary territory, indicating a steady recovery of the sector, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

The PMI, a key barometer of the health of the nation's manufacturing sector, came in at 51 in August versus 51.1 a month earlier, with sub-gauges of new market orders and employment improving while production declined, the NBS said.

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

The PMI for the non-manufacturing sector, meanwhile, rose to 55.2 for August, compared with 54.2 last month, as recovery in the services sector sped up after the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic stabilized domestically.

The composite PMI covering both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors improved to 54.5 this month, up from 54.1 in July, indicating a continued recovery of the Chinese economy.

More than half of the surveyed small manufacturers were nevertheless still under pressure from low demand in August, and some also struggled with tight cash flow, said Zhao Qinghe, a senior NBS statistician.