China's high-tech industries demonstrated remarkable resilience in the first quarter of 2026, with tax data released on Wednesday showing a 14.6% year-on-year surge in sales revenue. The growth underscores the nation's accelerating shift toward innovation-driven development amid global economic uncertainties.
High-tech manufacturing rose by 12.7%, while services in the sector outpaced expectations with a 15.8% increase. Analysts attribute this momentum to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and surging demand for computing infrastructure, particularly in integrated circuit design and manufacturing.
The green transition also gained traction, with ecological protection industries posting 9.6% revenue growth. Clean energy now accounts for 36.3% of power production sales – a 4.5 percentage point increase from 2025 – signaling progress toward sustainability goals.
Traditional manufacturing sectors maintained steady growth at 5.4%, led by machinery and equipment production at 6.3%. These figures suggest a balanced economic landscape where emerging technologies complement established industries.
