BEIJING - China's heavy truck manufacturers reported record high sales last month, adding to signals of growing vitality in the broader economy.

Some 144,000 heavy-duty trucks were sold in March in China, up 85 percent month on month, according to cvworld.cn, an auto industry information service provider.

Analysis from cvworld.cn attributed the surge to the launch of infrastructure projects and booming sales of natural gas-fueled trucks.

FAW Jiefang Automotive Co., Ltd., a truck subsidiary of FAW Group headquartered in Changchun, continued to take the lead in sales by selling 36,000 units last month.

Heavy truck sales are highly related to the economic climate in China and are usually in line with major economic indicators, such as the purchasing managers' index (PMI).

The PMI for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.5 in March, up from 49.2 in February, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Sunday.

NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe attributed the monthly increase in the manufacturing PMI to accelerated production activities and improved domestic demand.