BEIJING, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's industrial sector continued to gain momentum in the first three quarters of 2026, with high-tech and equipment manufacturing expanding rapidly, official data showed Monday.

The country's value-added industrial output increased by 5.3 percent year on year in the first nine months of 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In September, value-added industrial output rose 5.5 percent year on year, accelerating by 0.3 percentage points from August, the data showed.

Despite a complex environment, China's industrial sector maintained steady growth and made further progress in the first three quarters, Mao Shengyong, deputy head of the NBS, said at a press conference.

NBS data showed value-added output of equipment manufacturing grew 10.2 percent year on year in the first three quarters, while high-tech manufacturing rose 14.3 percent. Both outpaced overall industrial growth by 4.9 and 9 percentage points, respectively.

Equipment and high-tech manufacturing accounted for 37.6 percent and 18.3 percent of value-added industrial output during the period, respectively, Mao said, describing them as key drivers of industrial transformation and high-quality development.

Industrial output is used to measure the activity of large enterprises each with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.98 million U.S. dollars).

At the product level, output of industrial robots jumped 29.1 percent year on year, while 3D printing equipment and lithium-ion batteries saw increases of 62.5 percent and 39.5 percent, respectively.

New growth drivers, represented by high-end manufacturing, the digital and intelligent economy, and modern services, contributed more than 40 percent to China's economic growth in the first nine months, Mao said, citing preliminary estimates.

"The baton of economic growth is being passed increasingly to new growth drivers," he said.

The figures reflect China's broader push to upgrade its industrial structure and cultivate new growth drivers. The country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) underscores the development of a modernized industrial system with advanced manufacturing as its backbone.

Earlier this month, China issued guidelines to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces. The measures include advancing scientific and technological innovation, deepening the integration of sci-tech and industrial innovation, and innovating development approaches.

Overall, China's economy remained generally stable in the first three quarters, with new growth drivers gaining strength and the economic structure continuing to improve, Mao said.