by XIN Yuan
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Monday that value added in the "above-designated-size" electronic information manufacturing enterprises rose 10.6% year on year in the January–October period, outpacing overall industrial growth by 4.5 percentage points and high-tech manufacturing by 1.3 points. In October alone, output increased 8.9%.
Production of key products showed mixed momentum. Smartphone output edged up 0.7% to 1.02 billion units in the first 10 months, while micro-computer equipment fell 1.7% to 275 million units. Integrated circuit production climbed 10.2% to 386.6 billion units.
Industry revenue reached 14 trillion yuan during the period, up 8.3% year on year, while total costs grew 8.1%. Profits increased 12.8% to 570 billion yuan, with the sector's profit margin improving to 4.07%, up 0.1 percentage point from the January–September period.
The sector's strong performance has been reinforced by a series of national and local policy measures. MIIT Minister LI Lecheng convened a meeting on June 3 to map out development plans for the artificial intelligence industry and its role in advancing new industrialization, stressing the need to expand computing capacity, coordinate general-purpose and industry-specific large models, and accelerate the creation of high-quality datasets.
On August 26, the State Council issued guidelines for implementing the "AI+" initiative, calling for wider adoption of intelligent R&D tools and deeper collaboration between AI and fields such as biomanufacturing, quantum technology and 6G research.
In September, MIIT and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly released a 2025–2026 action plan for stabilizing growth in electronic information manufacturing, outlining 16 measures spanning industrial upgrading, supply-chain quality, domestic and overseas market expansion, and integrated technological innovation. The plan sets a target of around 7% average annual growth in value added for computer, communications and electronic equipment manufacturing, and more than 5% annual revenue growth for the broader sector including batteries, photovoltaics and components.
Local governments have also moved to accelerate next-generation infrastructure. Beijing issued a 2025–2027 implementation plan for "5G + industrial internet," including support for industrial 5G, TSN, edge computing and early-stage 6G research. Shanghai released measures to advance frontier technologies, identifying silicon photonics, 6G, fourth-generation semiconductors and brain-inspired intelligence as priority areas for accelerated development and application-scenario expansion.
WANG Peng, associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told Jiemian News that the double-digit growth reflects both the sector’s resilience and structural upgrades driven by technology convergence and policy incentives.
China's full-spectrum industrial chain helps stabilize supply amid external uncertainties, while AI, 5G and new-energy technologies are speeding the shift from hardware-centric manufacturing to integrated "hardware + software + services" ecosystems, he said. Equipment renewal policies and rising demand in emerging markets are further expanding the industry's room for growth.
Wang added that policy priorities should now focus on "high-end, intelligent and green" development. On the supply side, he said, China needs faster product iteration and more differentiated regional clusters to avoid repetitive investment. On the demand side, scenario-based innovation will be key to unlocking consumption upgrades and cultivating new markets.
