Workers assemble a tractor from the "Dongfanghong" series at the large tractor division of agricultural machinery giant YTO Group Co in Luoyang, Central China's Henan Province, on July 14, 2025. Tractor manufacturers are running at full capacity to meet surging orders and are making a concerted push to drive third-quarter sales. Photo: VCG

The China machinery industry association released data on Sunday showing that the sector continued its upward trajectory in production and investment in the first seven months, underscoring the momentum generated by the nation's drive to foster new quality productive forces.

From January to July, the added value of five major sectors of China's machinery industry all maintained year-on-year growth, according to the official website of the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF).

Growth was seen across the board, with general equipment manufacturing climbing 8.3 percent, special equipment edging up 3.8 percent, vehicle production surging 10.9 percent, electrical machinery and equipment rising 11.9 percent, and instruments and meters rising 7.1 percent, said the CMIF.

In terms of fixed-asset investment, general equipment manufacturing, special equipment manufacturing, and vehicle manufacturing all recorded steady growth.

Among representative machinery products, the cumulative output of metal-cutting machine tools reached 480,000 units, up 13.9 percent year-on-year, while industrial robot production totaled 447,000 units, up 32.9 percent. These gains contributed to the accelerated development of new quality productive forces, according to the CMIF.

One highlight of the growth in the machinery industry is the rapid development of the green sector, driven by the need for green transformation at home and abroad. According to the CMIF, production of clean-energy equipment has grown rapidly. In the first seven months, China's cumulative output of solar cells reached 473.96 million kilowatts, up 19.6 percent year-on-year. Wind turbines were exported to 108 countries and regions, with export revenues steadily increasing.

Since the beginning of this year, China's machinery industry has seen stable growth in both production and sales, with its overall economic performance remaining on a steady upward trend, particularly as progress in green transformation accelerates, said Xu Niansha, president of the CMIF.

The rapid development of China's machinery industry demonstrates that the real economy, especially the manufacturing sector, has entered a faster growth track, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Moreover, as an important component of the macroeconomy, the industry's strong growth provides solid support for the overall economic recovery, Li said.

"A large part of the machinery industry is considered part of China's new quality productive forces... The rapid growth in this area not only shows how quickly these forces are developing but also illustrates how closely they are integrated with the real economy," Li said, citing examples such as artificial intelligence and other rapidly advancing technologies being integrated into the nation's booming digital economy and manufacturing sector.

China's rapid development in the machinery sector is being fueled by growing global demand for its advanced products. Benefiting from the country's manufacturing advantages, China's construction machinery industry achieved a "leapfrog" expansion overseas during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), posting export growth of more than 150 percent and showcasing the nation's product strength, research and development capability, and manufacturing prowess, the Securities Times reported.

From January to July, China's construction machinery import and export trade reached $35.076 billion, up 10.5 percent year-on-year, with exports totaling $33.486 billion, an increase of 10.8 percent, according to news portal jiemian.com, citing data from the China Construction Machinery Association and China Customs.