Activity in China's vast manufacturing sector hit a six-month high in September as new orders rebounded, a non-official survey showed on Monday, adding to signs of stabilization in the world's second-largest economy.

HSBC's preliminary Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 51.2 from August's final reading of 50.1, the second consecutive month above the watershed 50 level, which separates expansion from contraction.

The data - the earliest reading of China's economic performance in September - boosted confidence that the government may be able to meet its growth target for the year.