The past five years have seen innovation-driven development propel China's manufacturing industry up the value chain with higher-tech and higher-quality products.
The following are some facts and figures about the development of the country's manufacturing sector in the span of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020):
-- China has the largest industrial system globally with the most complete categories, strong production capabilities and comprehensive supporting sectors, which enabled the country to beef up production of medical supplies and bolstered global efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
-- China climbed 15 positions on the Global Innovation Index rankings, rising from 29th in 2015 to 14th in 2020.
Supported by innovation and technological progress, the country's manufacturing industry is shifting from traditional labor-intensive production models to those based on digital technologies, smart plants and automation equipment.
-- With the new infrastructure construction boom, the country's industrial Internet has entered fast lane during the past five years.
So far, 180,000 enterprises in 300 Chinese cities enjoy industrial internet, and more than 70 large industrial internet platforms have been established, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
-- China's industrial robot production surged from 33,000 in 2015 to 187,000 in 2019, while the country's industrial robot consumption has topped other countries for seven consecutive years, reaching 143,000 in 2019.
-- During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China introduced a series of measures to lay a solid foundation for accelerating the research and development of 5G technology, amid efforts to promote and construct related infrastructure and network facilities.
The country now has more than 690,000 5G base stations, and with the rapid rise of 5G users, the number of terminal devices connected to the network exceeded 160 million by Oct. 19, according to the MIIT.
-- The C919, China's first homegrown jetliner, conducted a successful maiden flight in May 2017. Subsequently, the aircraft started intensive test flights from various airports to ensure its performance meets airworthiness standards.
