China made significant progress in industrial technology innovation in 2025, with the size of its core artificial intelligence (AI) sector surpassing 1 trillion yuan (around $142 billion), according to a national conference on industry and information technology held on Friday.

The conference said that under its 2026 plans, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on nurturing and expanding emerging and future-oriented industries, while continuing to strengthen research and development in AI.

The ministry plans to build new key growth sectors, including integrated circuits, next-generation display technologies, advanced materials, aerospace, the low-altitude economy and biomedicine.

Officials projected that the total added value of major industrial enterprises will rise by 5.9 percent year on year in 2025.

Official figures showed that from January to November, value added by large high-tech manufacturing firms and equipment manufacturers grew by 9.2 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

China has also fostered more than 600,000 small and medium-sized enterprises driven by technology and innovation, while the number of high-tech companies nationwide has climbed to 504,000.

Industry and Information Technology Minister Li Lecheng said continued efforts are needed to maintain the industrial sector’s stable growth and further strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of industrial supply chains.