Zhinews of Shenzhen Satellite TV:

How would you evaluate the highlights of August's industrial data? And what is the current overall situation of industrial production within China? Thank you.

Liu Aihua:

In August, due to a higher comparison base from the same period last year, the year-on-year growth rate of the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size decreased compared to the previous month. Excluding seasonal factors, the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size saw a month-on-month increase of 0.32%, maintaining a growth trend. Cumulatively, in the January–August period, its growth was 5.8%, maintaining overall stability. Most industries, regions and products achieved growth, with significant trends toward the development of high-end, intelligent and green industries. The high-quality development of the industrial sector continued to advance. The sector is characterized by four features:

First, over 80% of regions, nearly 80% of industries and more than 50% of products achieved growth. In August, out of the 31 provincial-level regions nationwide, 25 saw growth in added value, with the proportion hitting 80.6%. Among the 41 major industries in the industrial sector, 32 industries saw year-on-year growth in added value, with the proportion close to 80%. Among the 619 industrial products surveyed, 339 products saw year-on-year growth in output, with the proportion reaching 54.8%.

Second, the equipment manufacturing industry continued to take a prominent role as an "anchor" of industrial growth. In August, the added value of equipment manufacturing enterprises above designated size increased by 6.4% year on year, maintaining fast growth and contributing 47.9% to the growth of the total added value of industrial enterprises above designated size, close to half. From January to August, the added value of the equipment manufacturing industry accounted for 33.5% of industrial enterprises above designated size; and the proportion continued to rise from the January-July period and has remained above 30% for 18 consecutive months. Profits for the equipment manufacturing industry maintained stable growth. In the first seven months, the equipment manufacturing industry's profits increased by 6.1% year on year, 2.5 percentage points higher than the total profits of industrial enterprises above designated size; and they accounted for 35.1% of the total profits of industrial enterprises above designated size, an increase of 0.8 percentage point compared to the same period last year.

Third, new drivers for manufacturing development continued to grow. With the continuous application of technological and innovative achievements as well as digital technology, process updates, digital empowerment and green and low-carbon initiatives will help to drive industrial upgrading and new drivers will continue to grow. In August, the added value of high-tech manufacturing enterprises above designated size increased by 8.6% year on year, with electronic and communication equipment manufacturing growing by 11.4% and maintaining double-digit growth for 10 consecutive months. The added value of intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing increased by 54% year on year. Navigation, surveying, mapping, meteorological and marine special instrument manufacturing grew by 65.1%, while electronic measuring instrument manufacturing increased by 12.6%. All these maintained a rather fast growth momentum. The new energy industry also saw solid growth. In August, the output of new energy vehicles and charging piles increased by 30.5% and 97% year on year, respectively, both registering quite a rapid growth. The output of polysilicon and solar ultra-clear glass — both green materials within the new energy industrial chain — increased by 20.3% and 49%, respectively.

Fourth, the export of industrial products continued to be a driving force. In August, the export delivery value of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 6.4% year on year, unchanged from the previous month and maintaining relatively fast growth. From January to August, its cumulative growth rate was 4.1%, and the rate accelerated month by month this year. Among the 39 major export industries, 32 industries saw export growth, with the proportion reaching 82.1%. The export delivery value of the computer, communication and electronic equipment manufacturing industry, which accounts for nearly 40% of the main export industries, grew by 3.4% year on year, 0.9 percentage point higher than the previous month. The export delivery value of automobile manufacturing grew by 15.9%, 2.9 percentage points higher than the previous month and maintaining double-digit growth for nine consecutive months. The export delivery values for general equipment, special equipment, metal products as well as railway, ship and aerospace industries all achieved double-digit growth.

In the next stage, the effects of macro policies, such as implementing major national strategies, building up security capacity in key areas as well as promoting large-scale equipment renewals and trade-ins of consumer goods, will take hold. As new fields and arenas, such as artificial intelligence, continues to expand, and the domestic large-scale market and rich scenario application technologies grow, all these will be conducive for boosting domestic demand and extending space for development. Overall, the industrial sector is expected to maintain a stable development trend.

That concludes my response.