National Bureau of Statistics: Digital Economy Development Shows Positive Momentum, Driving Synchronized Improvement Across Industrial Chain

Today (March 16) at 10 a.m., the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the economic performance of the national economy in January and February 2026. The spokesperson from the National Bureau of Statistics stated that the good start of the economy in January and February is closely related to the cultivation of new quality productivity and the growth of new driving forces. Deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, the accelerated expansion of “Artificial Intelligence +”, and the positive development of the digital economy have driven the simultaneous improvement of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. In January and February, the added value of computer, communication, and other electronic equipment manufacturing increased by 14.2% year-on-year. The rapid growth of the electronics industry has driven the growth of related upstream raw material industries, especially the chemical industry. From January to February, the added value of chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing increased by 7.6% year-on-year, maintaining rapid growth. Meanwhile, with the development of artificial intelligence and the increasing demand for computing power, the upstream energy industry has been significantly affected. In January and February, the added value of power, heat production, and supply industries increased by 5.1% year-on-year, accelerating by 4 percentage points compared to December of the previous year. The new driving forces have strengthened their role in promoting the entire upstream and downstream industries. Additionally, with the green transformation advancing, the production of new energy equipment has accelerated significantly, with many new energy equipment products maintaining high-speed growth, injecting new momentum into economic growth. (CCTV News)