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BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China's value-added industrial output expanded 6.1 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, 1.1 percentage points faster than the previous quarter, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

On a monthly basis, industrial output grew 0.28 percent in March.

The industrial output is used to measure the activity of large enterprises, each with an annual main business turnover of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.91 million U.S. dollars).

A breakdown of the data showed that the mining sector's value-added output increased by 6 percent year on year in the first quarter, while the manufacturing sector's grew by 6.4 percent. The value-added output of the electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply sectors rose by 4.3 percent.

Value-added output for high-tech manufacturing surged 12.5 percent during the first quarter. This sector's share of total industrial value-added reached 16.9 percent, driving overall growth by two percentage points.

Notably, the value-added output of the aerospace vehicle and equipment manufacturing industry grew by 17.7 percent, while that of aircraft manufacturing grew by 27.3 percent, according to Mao Shengyong, deputy head of the NBS.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has fueled growth across related sectors. In the first quarter, the manufacturing of specialized electronic materials and integrated circuits, both directly linked to AI production and application, saw their value-added output surge by 32.5 percent and 49.4 percent, respectively.

This AI-driven momentum has further extended upstream into the chemical and power industries, which provide essential raw materials and energy, demonstrating a continuous ripple effect on the broader economy, Mao said at a press conference.

Thursday's data also showed that China's GDP grew 5 percent year on year in the first quarter, 0.5 percentage points faster than that of the fourth quarter of 2025. The country has targeted 2026 growth at 4.5 to 5 percent and will strive to achieve better results in practice.