On October 20th, a press conference was held by the State New Office of China. Representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) introduced the development of the industry and informatization for the first three quarters of 2023 and answered journalists’ questions.
Overall, in the first three quarters, the development of industry and informatization remained stable, with the value-added of large-scale industries increasing by 4% year-on-year. Out of 41 major industrial sectors, 27 saw a year-on-year increase in value-added. The equipment manufacturing industry increased by 6% year-on-year in the first three quarters, 2 percentage points higher than the overall industry. The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for manufacturing rebounded to the prosperous range in September, while the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose month-on-month for two consecutive months.
In terms of equipment manufacturing, the new energy vehicle industry has maintained strong growth momentum, with new car sales accounting for 29.8% of the total new car sales. MIIT will accelerate the formulation and adjustment of tax relief for new energy vehicles, actively promote new energy vehicle rural activities, and continue to expand the domestic market.
Furthermore, the scale of China’s AI core industry has been growing continuously, with over 4,400 enterprises. Innovations like smart chips, development frameworks, and large general models are emerging continuously. To promote the innovative development of the new generation of AI industry, MIIT will promote the intelligent upgrade of key industries, promote the development of intelligent products and equipment, and leverage the characteristics of large models for cognition, interaction, and generation, advancing the upgrade of high-end equipment, essential software, and smart terminals.
In the first three quarters, the added value of large-scale industries increased by 4% year-on-year.
Zhao Zhiguo, the spokesperson and chief engineer of MIIT, pointed out that the industry and informatization development remained stable in the first three quarters, with a continuously optimized industrial structure. The vitality and momentum for innovative development are continuously released, and high-quality development has achieved positive results.
The industrial economy is improving. Production is growing steadily. In the first three quarters, the value-added of large-scale industries increased by 4% year-on-year, an acceleration of 0.2 percentage points compared to the first half of the year. Out of the 41 major industrial sectors, 27 saw a year-on-year increase in value-added.
Worth noting, the PMI for manufacturing rebounded to the prosperous range in September. The PPI rose month-on-month for two consecutive months, with the profits of large-scale industrial enterprises improving monthly.
Meanwhile, the ICT industry maintained steady growth. In the first three quarters, telecom service revenues increased by 6.8% year-on-year, and the total business volume increased by 16.5%. Network service capabilities have been continuously upgraded, and 5G applications have been integrated into 67 major national economic categories.
Additionally, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been effective. In the first three quarters, several key economic indicators of SMEs have rebounded. MIIT has strengthened the cultivation of quality enterprises, cumulatively fostering over 103,000 specialized SMEs, 12,000 “little giant” enterprises, and 200 SME characteristic industry clusters.
Promote the Application of Large Models in High-End Equipment and Key Software
Currently, a new generation of AI technology is rapidly developing. When asked how the MIIT will accelerate the promotion of innovative development of the new generation of AI industries, Tao Qing replied that MIIT will integrate AI with the real economy, rapidly cultivate and strengthen the intelligent industry, and assist in advancing new industrialization.
Next, MIIT will vigorously promote the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry and promote AI innovative applications. One, solidify the AI technology foundation. Two, promote the intelligent upgrade of key industries. Three, promote the development of intelligent products and equipment. And four, strengthen the construction of the support service system.
It’s worth mentioning that with the vigorous development of the digital economy, especially the emergence of large models, computing power, as a fundamental support, has attracted widespread attention from all walks of life.
Zhao Zhiguo emphasized that the MIIT will guide the construction of computing power infrastructure in an orderly manner, promote the integration of computing power with industries such as industry, finance, medical care, education, and energy.
Orderly Promote the Construction of Key Projects in the Electronic Information Manufacturing Field
In the electronic information manufacturing industry, Tao Qing pointed out that this year, China’s electronic information manufacturing industry has maintained resilience, and the industry’s operation has stabilized and rebounded. From January to September, the value-added of large-scale computer, communication, and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries increased by 1.4% year-on-year.
In the next step, MIIT will focus on promoting a faster recovery of the consumer market, implement policies such as the “Action Plan for Steady Growth of the Electronic Information Manufacturing Industry 2023-2024”, stabilize consumer market expectations, and actively cultivate emerging growth points in the industry.