BEIJING - China's business people reported better operational conditions for the third quarter of 2016 and were more confident with the broader economy, said the central bank Sunday.

The business index grew to 50.3 percent from 48.3 percent in the second quarter and the profitability index rose to 54.7 percent from 52.7 percent, according to a survey by the People's Bank of China (PBOC).

In addition, the economic vitality index and the economic confidence index improved over the previous quarter, indicating a brighter outlook.

A separate PBOC survey found that Chinese bankers also thought economic vitality recovered between July and September.

According to the survey, 78.2 percent of the polled bankers believed the monetary policy was "proper," up from 74.6 percent in the second quarter.