China’s manufacturing activity unexpectedly expanded in December, snapping eight consecutive months of contraction and offering policymakers some relief as they pushed to meet the country’s annual economic growth target.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in December from 49.2 in November, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday, moving back above the 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction.

The rebound suggests recent policy measures to support demand and stabilise industrial output may be beginning to take effect, after months of weakness weighed on factory sentiment amid a property downturn, soft global demand and cautious consumer spending.

The improvement was broad-based, with new orders and production both edging higher, while export orders remained under pressure due to sluggish overseas markets, according to economists.