The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.1 in January, up from 47 in last December, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Tuesday.

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

The sub-index for large enterprises stood at 52.3 in January, up 4 percentage points from the previous month.

Demand in the manufacturing market also rebounded, with the sub-index for new orders gaining 7 percentage points from a month earlier to 50.9.

The sub-index for production stood at 49.8, up 5.2 percentage points from last December, the data showed.