BEIJING - China's 26 leading excavator makers sold a total of 28,305 excavators in February, surging 205 percent year-on-year, data from the China Construction Machinery Association showed.

In breakdown, 24,562 excavators were sold in the domestic market, jumping 256 percent year-on-year, while exports of the equipment rose 57.9 percent to 3,743.

In the first two months, total sales amounted to 47,906 units, up 149 percent from the same period last year.

Sales of digging machines are an important indicator of the vitality of an economy as demand is usually backed by growth in mining and infrastructure development.