(Yicai Global) Oct. 9 -- The seasonally adjusted China's Caixin General Services Purchasing Managers' Index registered 54.8 last month, up from 54 in August. Any reading above 50 signals expansion. This privately compiled data marks the fifth straight month of growth, fueled by rising demand.

These findings are at odds with the official index, however. The official non-manufacturing PMI the National Bureau of Statistics data released was up a mere 0.9 points to 55.2.

China has two main PMIs. The NBS' official catalog tracks 3,000 companies, many large and state-backed. The Caixin PMI, also known as the Caixin-Markit PMI, surveys 500 businesses that are typically smaller and private.

Editor: Ben Armour