AI Boosts China’s Steady Economic Growth in First Four Months of the Year

Latest invoice data released by the State Taxation Administration shows steady expansion in corporate sales across China in the first four months of the year, with artificial intelligence-related sectors delivering standout growth and injecting strong momentum into industrial upgrading and high-quality development.

AI industrial chains register robust growth across both upstream production and downstream application sectors. In the January-April period, sales revenue of electronic special material manufacturing and integrated circuit manufacturing, core links for AI production, rose 70 percent and 54.4 percent year on year respectively. End-user AI industries also saw remarkable expansion, with sales of intelligent vehicle equipment and industrial robots climbing 50.7 percent and 27.5 percent year on year, highlighting the powerful driving force of AI-enabled industrial innovation.

China’s industrial sector maintains solid growth momentum with advanced manufacturing acting as a stable pillar. Industrial sales revenue increased 6.6 percent year on year in the first four months. The equipment manufacturing industry outperformed the overall industrial average, achieving a 7.6 percent year-on-year sales rise. Sub-sectors delivered strong results, with computer and communication equipment manufacturing up 14.7 percent, electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing up 10.3 percent, and instrument manufacturing up 9.1 percent, reflecting continuous optimisation of the industrial structure.

New growth drivers continue to expand and strengthen, further optimising the economic structure. High-tech industry sales surged 15.3 percent year on year, driven by a 14.9 percent growth in high-tech manufacturing. High-tech manufacturing accounted for 18.1 percent of total manufacturing sales, edging up 1.3 percentage points from the same period last year. The digital economy maintains vigorous development, with core digital industry sales growing 9.4 percent year on year and sustaining industrial digital transformation.

Domestic consumption markets remain buoyant with diversified service and consumer sector recovery. Leisure and sightseeing activities, travel services, and cultural and entertainment industries recorded year-on-year sales growth of 32 percent, 14.6 percent and 14 percent respectively. Catering delivery and homestay services also achieved steady increases of 7.7 percent and 14.1 percent. Policy initiatives including consumer goods replacement schemes and invoice incentive programmes have effectively stimulated market vitality, pushing communication equipment retail sales up 17.4 percent year on year.

The latest tax invoice indicators demonstrate that China’s economic recovery foundation keeps consolidating, with growth momentum continuously improving. Emerging industries, advanced manufacturing and domestic consumption are forming coordinated development trends. The integration of artificial intelligence, digital economy and real economy will further unlock industrial potential and support sustained, high-quality economic advancement in the future.