China’s manufacturing improved for a third straight month in February, signaling the world’s second- biggest economy is maintaining momentum amid Europe’s debt crisis and a cooling domestic property market. The purchasing managers’ index rose to 51.0 from 50.5 in January, China’s statistics bureau and logistics federation said in a statement today. That compares with the 50.9 median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey of 24 economists. A reading above 50 indicates expansion. Economic data in the first two months are distorted by a weeklong Chinese New Year holiday. Today’s data and larger-than-forecast production ... (full story)