China's manufacturing industry flipped to mild expansion in March from contraction. The official purchasing managers' index or PMI stood at 50.2, the highest in nine months. That means more than half of the purchasing managers saw their businesses expand in March. 

The sub-index for new export orders rose 2.8 percentage points to 50.2. That was the first time the index has climbed over the 50 boom-bust line since October 2014. 

The services industry gauge recovered to 53.8 percent in March, after a hiccup in February. Consumer services such as retail, dining and travel slowed on seasonal factors, but activity was lifted by a real estate boom in March.