China's manufacturing value-added output is expected to have increased by more than 8 trillion yuan($1.13 trillion)during the 14th Five-Year Plan period(2021-2025),contributing over 30 percent of global growth.The country has maintained its position as the world's largest manufacturer for 15 straight years,Li Lecheng,minister of industry and information technology,told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Between 2020-2024,the added value of China's equipment manufacturing industry achieved average growth rate of 7.9 percent,while high-tech manufacturing saw growth of 8.7 percent.In 2024,China's new energy vehicle(NEV)production surpassed 13 million units,with the country's production and sales of NEVs topping the world for 10 consecutive years,according to Li.

Over the past five years,China's innovation investment has steadily increased,with research and investment(R&D)expenditure of above-scale manufacturing enterprises accounting for over 1.6 percent of their operating revenue.

China's industrial and technological innovation has entered a new phase characterized by accelerated"catch-up,"increased"parallel development,"and emerging"leadership"in key fields,Li said,referring to achievements including Chang'e landing on moon,commercialization of self-developed C919 aircraft,and China's first domestically built large cruise ship,Adora Magic City,entering operation.

The competitiveness of Chinese large enterprises has significantly improved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period,Li noted.As of July this year,the number of above-scale industrial enterprises increased by 138,000 compared to the end of 2020.In 2024,64 manufacturing enterprises were selected into the Fortune Global 500.

Meanwhile,the vitality and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs)continues to grow,with the number of registered SMEs reaching over 60 million and more than 140,000 specialized and sophisticated SMEs have been nurtured,according to the official.