BEIJING: China’s industrial production showed a solid rebound in the first quarter of 2025, boosting hopes for meeting the country’s annual economic targets. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the sector’s performance has played a key role in driving overall growth.
The focus keyphrase China industrial growth appeared early in the briefing by MIIT’s Chief Engineer Xie Shaofeng during a press conference in Beijing. He said the added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew 6.5% year-on-year. This includes large firms across sectors like electronics, automobiles, and machinery – all of which contributed significantly to the momentum.
Notably, equipment manufacturing emerged as a leading force in this growth story. The country’s industrial private investment also climbed at a double-digit pace, with more firms joining the “above designated size” category. Optimism among companies rose, alongside improvements in efficiency and expansion.
Xie said the industry’s contribution to macroeconomic growth hit 36.3% in Q1. He also pointed out that China’s manufacturing PMI – a key indicator of factory activity – has shown expansion for two months straight, another sign of economic resilience.
China is also prioritising innovation in its industrial sector. Efforts are underway to shift towards smarter, greener, and more high-end development. These changes are seen as necessary to support long-term transformation and industrial upgrades.
With these indicators, China appears to be on track with its industrial and economic strategies for the year.
