BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- China's value-added industrial output expanded at a solid pace in the first half (H1) of 2026, with equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing posting strong growth, official data showed on Wednesday.
The country's value-added industrial output rose 5.4 percent year on year during the period, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.
The industrial output is used to measure the activity of large enterprises each with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.95 million U.S. dollars).
In terms of sectors, the value-added output of the mining sector increased by 3.6 percent, while that of the manufacturing sector grew by 5.6 percent. The value-added output of the electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply sectors went up by 5.5 percent, the data showed.
In June alone, industrial output grew 5.3 percent year on year, 0.8 percentage points higher than in May, NBS data showed.
Commenting on the industrial performance, NBS spokesperson Wang Guanhua said the steady growth of industrial production was underpinned in part by technology-intensive and resilient emerging industries.
"After years of planning and development, China's emerging industries have steadily expanded and gained strong momentum," she said.
The value-added output of high-tech manufacturing and digital product manufacturing increased 13.3 percent and 12.3 percent year on year, respectively, in H1, with both sectors accelerating from the first quarter, Wang said.
Accounting for just over one-fifth of total industrial value added, new growth drivers represented by the two sectors contributed nearly half of overall industrial growth during the period, she said.
Manufacturing upgrading has also boosted demand for producer services, including information technology, modern finance, research and development, design, and business services, Wang said.
In the first six months, value added in the information transmission, software and information technology services sector increased 10.7 percent year on year, while that of the leasing and business services sector rose 11.9 percent. Together, the two sectors contributed nearly one-quarter of China's economic growth, according to NBS figures. ■
