BEIJING, March 1 -- Business activity in China's non-manufacturing sector expanded in February with slightly slower pace from January, official data showed on Tuesday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector came in at 52.7 in February, down from 53.5 in January, according to a report released jointly by the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

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

The service sector sub-index stood at 52.2 in February, down 0.5 points from January, said the report.

Businesses related to retail, travel, post and catering services expanded in February, thanks to the Chinese New Year holidays in early February, NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said.

The sub-index for new orders settled at 48.7, down 0.9 points from last month, showing dwindling demand in the non-manufacturing sector.

The non-manufacturing PMI tracks business activities of both the service sector and the construction industry.

The sub-index for construction activity slipped to 55.2 in February, down 2.6 points from January, due to weak demand.