Latest tax data show that the Chinese economy has continued to perform steadily, with innovation momentum strengthening, as evidenced by robust revenue growth in high-tech industries in the first quarter of 2026.

Data released Wednesday by the State Taxation Administration showed that sales revenue of high-tech industries for the period from Jan. 1 to March 25 increased by 14.6 per cent year on year. High-tech manufacturing and services saw revenues grow 12.7 per cent and 15.8 per cent, respectively.

Driven by the demand for artificial intelligence and computing power centres, the sales revenue of integrated circuit design and manufacturing also saw a sharp increase, the data showed.

During the same period, the sales revenue of the manufacturing sector grew 5.4 per cent while the sales revenue of machinery and equipment manufacturing grew 6.3 per cent, the data showed.

Wednesday’s data also revealed China’s accelerating pace in green transition, with the sales revenue of the ecological and environmental protection industry rising 9.6 per cent year on year.

The sales revenue from clean energy power generation grew rapidly, accounting for 36.3 per cent of the total sales revenue of power production, an increase of 4.5 percentage points compared to a year ago, the data showed.