SCIO press conference on development of industry and information technology in H1 2026

CCTV:

As just mentioned, the overall performance of industrial sector in the first half of the year remained stable, with its underlying trend toward innovation-driven and high-quality development unchanged. Could you provide a detailed overview of the performance of industrial sector in the first half of the year? Thank you.

Wang Weiming:

Thank you for your questions. As I have just outlined, the overall performance of industrial sector remained stable in the first half of the year, giving full play to its role as a "ballast stone" for the macroeconomy. Overall, the main features are summarized as follows.

First, major economic indicators have shown steady growth. In the first half of the year, industrial production maintained growth momentum, with the added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size increasing by 5.4% year on year, and 32 out of 41 major industrial sectors posting growth. The ability of industrial enterprises to make a profit continued to improve. In the first five months, the operating profit margin of industrial enterprises above the designated size was 5.56%, the highest monthly level since 2024. Driven by robust global demand for artificial intelligence and green and low-carbon transition, exports of integrated circuits, electronic components, and wind turbine generators, denominated in RMB, increased by 88.7%, 62.6%, and 35.6% year on year in the first half of the year, respectively.

Second, key regions and major industries have provided strong impetus for growth. Efforts were made to support localities in enhancing policy support, advancing industrial restructuring, and refining services for businesses. The 10 major industrial provinces recorded an average growth rate of industrial added value of about 7%, underscoring their crucial role in driving industrial growth. By seizing opportunities of artificial intelligence and new energy development worldwide, we have expanded the supply of high-quality products. Industries such as electronics, specialized equipment, general-purpose equipment, automobiles, and electrical machinery contributed more than 50% to the industrial growth. Meanwhile, the added value of industries like integrated circuit manufacturing and electronic special materials manufacturing maintained double-digit growth.

Third, accelerated efforts have been made to upgrade industries. We have taken a coordinated approach to upgrading traditional industries while fostering and expanding emerging ones. A new round of selection for national-level advanced manufacturing clusters has been initiated, and efforts are underway to develop new arenas of growth in national new- and high-tech development zones for 2026, focusing on 16 emerging fields. The share of the added value from the equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size in industry as a whole increased by 1.9 and 0.9 percentage points respectively compared with the first quarter. The output of products such as industrial robots and service robots maintained double-digit growth. Solid progress has been made in promoting the shift toward digital and intelligent development of the manufacturing industry. We have established over 56,000 basic-level, more than 9,000 advanced-level, and more than 500 excellence-level smart factories, and cultivated 15 flagship-level smart factories. Further progress has been made in carbon and pollutant reduction, and greenery expansion in the industrial sector. At the national level, the output value of green factories accounted for 22% of that of the manufacturing industry.

Going forward, we will thoroughly implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, with a focus on expanding demand, fostering new growth drivers, improving governance, and guarding against risks. We will ensure the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, and pursue higher-quality industrial growth while achieving an appropriate increase in industrial output. Thank you.