The added value of high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing went up by 18.2 percent and 12.9 percent year-on-year, respectively, 8.6 percentage points and 3.3 percentage points higher than that of industrial enterprises above a designated size.

The country's research and development expenditure increased by 14.2 percent year-on-year in 2021, four percentage points higher than in the previous year, accounting for 2.44 percent of the GDP, said Ning Jizhe, head of NBS.

In December, the total added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 4.3 percent on a yearly basis, an increase of 0.42 percent month-on-month.

From January to November, profits from industrial enterprises above the designated size were 7.98 trillion yuan ($1.3 trillion), up by 38 percent year-on-year, with an average two-year growth of 18.9 percent, according to NBS.