China’s manufacturing sector grew more slowly in February, according to a survey that suggests the country’s recovery could be slackening.

The official purchasing managers’ index dipped to 50.1 from 50.4 in January, data on Friday showed. It was the fifth consecutive month above the midpoint of 50, which indicates an expansion in industrial activity, but the decline in the index means that the pace of expansion has likely slowed.

China’s economy bottomed out in the third quarter last year and has accelerated since then, propelled by a surge in lending and a pick-up in government spending. But concerns about a rebound in inflation and high property prices have led Beijing to tap the brakes in recent weeks, and this shift in policy stance appears to have had an impact on the PMI.