Equipment manufacturers driving trade growth

Much like China's new energy vehicle, industrial robot and energy storage sectors, the shipbuilding industry exemplifies how domestic manufacturers are adopting innovation and green development to rise above the challenges posed by unilateralism and geoeconomic fragmentation.

In the process, they are playing a vital role in supporting the country's foreign trade and industrial upgrade.

As a high value-added sector, the equipment manufacturing industry has become a key driver of China's export restructuring.

The country's exports of equipment manufacturing products amounted to 6.22 trillion yuan ($853.3 billion) between January and May, up 9.2 percent year-on-year, accounting for 58.3 percent of the country's total exports, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

Meanwhile, China's exports of electric vehicles grew by 19 percent year-on-year, construction machinery by 10.7 percent, ships by 18.9 percent and industrial robots by an impressive 55.4 percent.

Equipment manufacturing accounted for 73 percent of China's export growth in the first five months, with the contribution rising to 76.9 percent in May alone, providing strong support for the steady growth of foreign trade, said Lyu Daliang, director-general of the administration's department of statistics and analysis.

The ongoing upgrade of China's equipment manufacturing industry is not only fueling the growth of domestic manufacturers, but also delivering energy-efficient, high-tech and competitively priced products to its trading partners, said Chen Jianwei, a researcher at the University of International Business and Economics' Academy of China Open Economy Studies in Beijing.

This progress is accelerating the digital and green advancement of developed economies, while also supporting industrialization and urbanization in many developing and emerging markets, contributing to more balanced global development and long-term sustainability, said Chen.

Among the key drivers of this momentum, industrial robots have rapidly become a standout export category. These multijoint robotic arms and other advanced robotic systems are widely used in sectors such as automotives, electronics, chemicals and consumer goods.

As China's production capabilities in this field continue to advance, a growing number of industrial robots are being exported to markets such as Thailand, Germany, the United States and the United Arab Emirates — underscoring the global appeal of the nation's smart manufacturing solutions.

At AgileX Robotics, a robotic arm manufacturer in Dongguan, Guangdong province, workers were busy packing robotic arms in late June. This batch of products, designed for data collection, plays a key role in the development and training of humanoid robots, and has gained strong traction in overseas markets.

"We really can't ship fast enough and demand is overwhelming. Our exports this year are expected to rise by 70 to 80 percent compared with 2024," said Chen Peng, the company's marketing director.

Chen said that orders from overseas research institutions, particularly in the artificial intelligence field, are growing the fastest. These clients often require rapid delivery due to time-sensitive needs.