China’s high-tech manufacturing sector profits rise 8.7% in first 9 months of 2025: official data

Technicians check product quality at a mold company in Botou, north China's Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2025. (Xinhua)

China's major industrial firms above the designated size posted faster revenue growth in the first nine months of 2025, with operating income up 2.4 percent year-on-year, driven by an 8.7-percent profit increase in the high-tech manufacturing sector, according to latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS on Monday released data on industrial enterprises' profits for the January-September period of this year, showing that major industrial firms nationwide recorded total profits of 5.37 trillion yuan, up 3.2 percent year-on-year — the highest growth rate ever since August last year.

Among the enterprises, profits in the high-tech manufacturing sector rose 8.7 percent year-on-year, accelerating by 2.7 percentage points from the January-August period and contributing 1.6 per-centage points to overall industrial profit growth. In September alone, profits in the sector surged by 26.8 percent, adding 6.1 percentage points to total industrial profit growth and serving as a key driver of revenue growth.

By sector, profits in aerospace equipment manufacturing rose by 11.3 percent, while advances in automation and intelligent technologies fuelled surges of 81.6 percent in smarter devices, 39.7 percent in electronic components, and 25.5 percent in specialized electronic equipment. Profits in optical and precision instrument manufacturing grew 45.2 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively.

Bian Yongzu, a senior researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Global Times that China's high-tech manufacturing sector has maintained robust growth momentum, with profits posting double-digit gains in September.

This reflects the combined effect of industrial innovation and strong policy support, Bian said. In recent years, China has introduced a series of measures — including financial and fiscal incentives — to encourage technological innovation, significantly boosting enterprises' R&D investment and competitiveness.

He noted that universities and research institutes have been strengthening their innovation capacity and cultivating a larger pool of skilled talent, providing a solid foundation for technological development and industrial upgrading. China's high-tech products are becoming increasingly competitive globally, underscoring the steady progress of the country's innovation-driven growth strategy.

According to Bian, China's massive manufacturing base and well-developed supply chains provide ideal conditions for the rapid application and large-scale growth of many high-tech industries. The country's diversified industrial structure also offers ample scenarios for new technology deployment, allowing scientific achievements to translate more efficiently into real productivity and fostering a healthy innovation ecosystem.

According to the NBS, from January to September, profits in the manufacturing sector grew 9.9 percent year-on-year, accelerating by 2.5 percentage points from the January-August period. Profits in the electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply industries rose 10.3 percent, up 0.9 percentage points, while the mining sector saw a decline of 29.3 percent, with the drop narrowing by 1.3 percentage points. In September alone, profits of major industrial enterprises rose by 21.6 percent year-on-year, 1.2 percentage points faster than in August.