Telecom Sector Drives up National ManufacturingChina's electronics and telecommunication industry has become a major driving force for the country's manufacturing sector, the National Bureau of Statistics said Firday, December 1."Along with the increasing use of information technology since the 1990s, China's electronics and telecommunication industry has developed rapidly and become very strong," the bureau said. The industry's output value had reached 818.9 billion yuan (US$98.7 billion) in 1999, rising from 66.8 billion yuan (US$8.0 billion) in 1990. "This means the industry's output value grew at an average annual rate of 32.1 per cent," the bureau said. The growth rate was much higher than the nation's average annual industrial growth, which stood at 14.2 per cent. During the first 10 months of this year, the output value by the electronics and telecommunication industry had grown by 20 percentage points more than the country's industrial growth. "The industry has taken the lead in the country's manufacturing sector in terms of development pace," the bureau said. In 1999, the industry's sales income reached 557.3 billion yuan (US$67.1 billion), also taking the lead in the manufacturing sector. Sales income has surpassed that of traditional sectors such as textiles, chemicals and power, the bureau said. During the first 10 months of this year, the industry's sales income was 556.4 billion yuan (US$67 billion), accounting for 8.5 per cent of total industrial sales. The electronics and telecommunication industry made up 19 per cent of the 8.9 per cent industrial growth increase in 1999, the bureau said. In the first 10 months of this year, the industry contributed 21.4 per cent of total industrial growth. The electronics and telecommunication sector has become a major profit maker, generating 30.7 billion yuan (US$3.7 billion) in 1999, accounting for 13.4 per cent of total industrial profit. "It was the No 1 profit maker," the bureau said. During the first 10 months of this year, the sector made 33.9 billion yuan (US$4.1 billion) profit. Guangdong is the leading province in China in information technology development, followed by Jiangsu, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Fujian, the statistics bureau said. The sector's sales income and profit in the six provinces and municipalities reached 443.8 billion yuan (US$53.5 billion) and 25.7 billion yuan (US$3.1 billion) respectively, accounting for 79.6 per cent and 83.6 per cent of the country's total sales income and profit. The bureau said the application of information technology has helped to improve industrial efficiency and greatly changed people's lifestyles. Development of the industry has helped to improve China's economic structure. The industry will continue to be a pillar of the country's economic development, the bureau said. Source: China Daily |
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