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

ThePaper.cn:

How has China's equipment manufacturing industry performed this year? What new developments and breakthroughs have been made in key areas? And what are the key priorities going forward? Thank you.

Wang Weiming:

Thank you for your questions. I will answer these. Since the first half of 2026, China's equipment manufacturing industry has generally shown the characteristics of "a solid foundation, multiple growth highlights and strong external demand." First, its role as a "ballast" continues to be prominent, and smart equipment is accelerating its expansion. In the first half of the year, the added value of the equipment manufacturing industry increased by 6.4% year on year, accounting for 20% of the total added value of industries above designated size, and contributing 23.5% to the growth of their added value, effectively supporting the stable operation of the industrial economy. New quality productive forces are being cultivated and expanded rapidly, with the output of industrial robots and service robots increasing by 28% and 11.9% year on year, respectively. Second, breakthroughs in high-end equipment are accelerating, and major national projects are showing remarkable achievements. Aviation equipment is being applied at an accelerated pace. The C919 large passenger aircraft has accumulated 41 deliveries and it has exceeded 130,000 safe flight hours. The AS700 manned airship participated in flood control and emergency rescue drills for the first time. Breakthroughs have been made in transportation equipment innovation. The CR450 high-speed train has successfully completed its full-train test. The market penetration rate of new passenger cars equipped with combined driving assistance functions has reached 70%. The U.N. global technical regulations for automated driving systems, led by China, have been released. The mandatory national standard for safety requirements of combined driving assistance systems has been released and implemented. Ship equipment has been upgraded and iterated; the world's first car carrier capable of carrying 10,000 vehicles has been successfully delivered; and China's second domestically made large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, has completed its sea trial. Third, advanced equipment has gone global, becoming the main force driving export growth. In the first half of the year, the export delivery value of equipment manufacturing industry increased by 18.2% year on year, contributing nearly 50% to the growth of industrial exports. Specifically, exports of wind turbine generators and lithium batteries increased by 35.6% and 37.6% year on year, respectively; exports of complete vehicles reached 5.096 million units, an increase of 65.3% year on year; and exported ships accounted for over 90% of the country's total completed ships, new orders and existing order backlog, demonstrating a steady improvement in international competitiveness.

Next, we will resolutely implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, coordinate efforts to ensure stable industrial operation, make breakthroughs in key technologies, and promote equipment application, and also make every effort to drive the transformation and upgrading of the equipment manufacturing industry. First, we will promote steady growth in the industry. We will closely follow the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, implement all overall plans and arrangements, promote and implement the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry, continue to implement a new round of work plans to stabilize growth in sectors such as machinery, automobiles and power equipment, and expand high-quality supply and effective demand in all aspects. Second, we will accelerate breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. We will coordinate efforts to carry out industrial foundation reengineering projects and research projects on major technologies and equipment, improve our strengths, address our weaknesses and enhance our foundation, thereby achieving breakthroughs in a number of landmark products and continuously improving the resilience and security of key industrial and supply chains. Third, we will accelerate the promotion and application of domestic equipment. We will deepen supply and demand matching in industries such as industrial machine tools, smart robots and medical equipment, and accelerate the promotion and application of newly-developed major technological equipment. We will organize promotional activities for new energy vehicles (NEVs) in rural areas, and continue to carry out pilot application projects for vehicle-road-cloud integration, as well as pilot programs for the market access and road access of intelligent connected vehicles. We will also activate the consumption potential of the big-ticket goods market. Thank you.