China's industrial and information technology sectors have achieved a strong start to the year. In the first quarter, the value-added output of industrial enterprises above the designated size increased by 6.1% year-on-year, with all 31 provinces recording positive growth. Over 80% of industrial sectors expanded, and industry contributed nearly 40% to economic growth.

Looking to future industries, China has deployed more than 100 "unveiling the list and appointing the best" research tasks in key areas such as quantum technology and clean low-carbon hydrogen. The country is systematically establishing a number of manufacturing innovation centers and pilot platforms for future industries.

The first quarterly report for the "16th Five-Year Plan" period shows robust performance. At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on April 21, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology detailed the progress made in the first quarter of 2026.

"We have been working proactively with various regions and departments to ensure a solid beginning this year. The industrial and information technology sectors overall have achieved a good start in the first quarter," said Zhang Yunming, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology.

Data indicates that telecommunications service volume grew by 8.3% year-on-year in the first quarter, accelerating by 0.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

The industrial structure continues to optimize. Value-added output of equipment manufacturing industries above the designated size rose by 8.9% year-on-year, contributing nearly 50% to the growth of industrial value-added output. Production of high-tech, high-value-added products such as robotic reducers and memory chips saw rapid growth exceeding 40%.

Positive momentum continues to strengthen. Manufacturing investment stabilized and rebounded, increasing by 4.1% year-on-year in the first quarter, 3.5 percentage points faster than the previous year. Investment in sectors like computer and office equipment manufacturing, as well as aerospace equipment manufacturing, achieved double-digit growth. The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose by 1.4 percentage points in March, entering expansion territory.

Zhang Yunming noted that despite rising external uncertainties, China's comprehensive industrial system, strong resilience, and vast market size ensure that the fundamentals for stable and sound industrial economic performance remain unchanged. Next steps will focus on stabilizing growth, strengthening innovation, promoting integration, optimizing governance, and preventing risks to continuously improve the quality and efficiency of industrial operations.

Developing future industries is crucial for gaining a competitive edge in technology and industry. China has systematically laid out innovation centers and pilot platforms in key future industry sectors while nurturing 509,000 high-tech enterprises. These efforts have gathered 54,000 innovative companies across 193 industrial clusters.

To further advance future industries from the laboratory to the market, Zhang Yunming outlined plans to align research tasks with practical industrial needs, enhance coordination between basic and applied research, promote the construction of innovation centers and pilot platforms, and balance universal policies with targeted measures for specific sectors.