Workers operate machines at a hydraulic pump factory in Tanxian County, Linyi City in east China's Shandong Province on February 1, 2012. The Chinese manufacturing sector expanded in January, as indicated by a slight rise in the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) to 50.5 from 50.3 in December. The official PMI, which was jointly released by the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing, unexpectedly exceeded the consensus forecast of 48 (XINHUA)