China's equipment manufacturing output surges 40 pct in Q1

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- China's equipment manufacturing sector saw rapid expansion in the first quarter of this year amid broader economic recovery, official data showed.

A key barometer of the country's manufacturing strength and overall economic operation, the equipment manufacturing sector saw its added value increase 39.9 percent year on year in the first three months, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed.

Combined profits of the sector jumped 710 percent year on year in the first two months.

Data from the ministry also showed that the output of engineering machinery and trucks surged more than 70 percent from a year ago in the first quarter, reflecting sound momentum in production and construction.