The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on development of industry and information technology in the first half of 2026 in Beijing, capital of China, July 20, 2026. (XINHUA) 

China's equipment manufacturing sector became a major driver of export growth in the first half of 2026, with export delivery value of the equipment industry rising 18.2 percent year on year and contributing nearly 50 percent of the growth in industrial exports, official data showed on July 20.

In the first half of the year, the country's exports of wind turbine generators and lithium batteries increased 35.6 percent and 37.6 percent year on year, respectively, while automobile exports reached 5.096 million units, up 65.3 percent from a year earlier, according to Wang Weiming, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China's shipbuilding sector also continued to strengthen its global competitiveness, with domestically built vessels accounting for more than 90 percent of the country's total completed ships, new orders, and existing order backlog.

"Since the beginning of 2026, China's equipment manufacturing industry has demonstrated characteristics of a solid foundation, multiple growth highlights and strong external demand," Wang said.

The sector's value-added output increased 6.4 percent year on year in the first half, accounting for 20 percent of the total output of industrial enterprises above designated size. It contributed 23.5 percent to the growth of value-added industrial output, providing strong support for stable industrial growth, Wang noted.

Meanwhile, new quality productive forces continued to expand, with output of industrial robots and service robots increasing 28 percent and 11.9 percent year on year, respectively.

Earlier data showed China's value-added industrial output expanded at a solid pace in the first half of 2026, with equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing posting strong growth.