The rapid expansion of China's digital economy is fueling growth across upstream and downstream sectors in the first two months of this year, a National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) spokesperson said Monday.

Fu Linghui, the NBS spokesperson, told a press conference in Beijing that the strong performance in the first two months of 2026 reflects the growing role of new quality productive forces and emerging growth drivers,

"The strong start to the economy in January-February was driven by the cultivation of new quality productive forces and the growth of new drivers. The integration of technological and industrial innovation, the accelerated expansion of 'AI Plus' initiatives, and the sound development of the digital economy have collectively improved conditions across both upstream and downstream industrial chains," Fu said.

"In January-February, the value-added output of the computer, communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing sector grew 14.2 percent year on year. This rapid growth in the electronics industry has spurred demand for upstream raw materials, particularly in the chemical sector, with the value-added of chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry posting 7.6 percent growth during the same period," said the spokesman.

"Meanwhile, the advancement of artificial intelligence and rising demand for computing power have provided a notable boost to upstream energy industries. In the first two months, the electricity and heat production and supply sector recorded 5.1 percent growth year on year, four percentage points faster than that in December 2025, demonstrating the growing ripple effects of new growth drivers across industrial chains. In addition, the push for green transformation has accelerated the production of new energy equipment, with many related product categories maintaining rapid growth and injecting fresh momentum into economic expansion," Fu said.