Beijing (TDI): China’s core artificial intelligence (AI) industry surpassed 1 trillion yuan ($142 billion) in scale in 2025, marking a major breakthrough in industrial technological innovation, officials said on Friday.
The figure was announced at a national conference on industry and information technology, which reviewed progress made during the year and outlined priorities for 2026.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), China will focus next year on cultivating and expanding emerging and future industries, while continuing to strengthen AI research and development.
Key sectors identified for development as new pillar industries include integrated circuits, new display technologies, advanced materials, aerospace, the low-altitude economy, and biomedicine.
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The ministry expects the added value of large industrial enterprises to grow 5.9 percent year on year in 2025.
Official data showed that from January to November, the value added of large high-tech manufacturing enterprises rose 9.2 percent, while equipment manufacturing enterprises recorded growth of 9.3 percent year on year.
China has also expanded its innovation ecosystem, cultivating more than 600,000 technology-driven small and medium-sized enterprises, while the number of high-tech enterprises nationwide reached 504,000.
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MIIT Minister Li Lecheng said efforts must continue to consolidate the positive momentum of the industrial economy and strengthen the independent and controllable development of industrial and supply chains.
