TECH

China’s AI Industry Tops $172 Billion as Manufacturing Integration Accelerates

Published: Jan. 22, 2026 4:55 p.m. GMT+8

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A worker tests a humanoid robot at a manufacturing facility in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Sept. 22, 2025. Photo: VCG

China’s core artificial intelligence (AI) industry exceeded an estimated 1.2 trillion yuan ($172 billion) in value in 2025, as the government stepped up efforts to integrate the advanced technology into the country’s vast manufacturing sector.

The data were released Wednesday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), underscoring how the world’s second-largest economy is seeking to upgrade industrial supply chains amid increasingly complex global and domestic challenges.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

China’s core AI industry value surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan ($172 billion) in 2025, with over 6,000 AI firms and 35,000 smart factories.
High-tech manufacturing output grew 9.4% year-on-year; AI penetrated over 70% of pilot factory scenarios.
China completed phase one 6G trials, had 4.84 million 5G base stations, and 1.2 billion 5G users in 2025.

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