An employee does soldering work at an auto manufacturing company in Shandong province.[Photo by Wang Jilin/For China Daily]

BEIJING - China's manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace in August, official data showed Friday.

The country's manufacturing purchasing managers' index came in at 51.3 this month, accelerating from 51.2 in July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

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

China's non-manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace in August. The purchasing managers' index for the sector came in at 54.2 in August, up from 54 in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said.