High-tech sectors driving new economy: NBS head

Ning Jizhe, new head of National Bureau of Statistics, takes questions from media during the Two Sessions in Beijing, Mar 14, 2015. [Su Zhou / China Daily]

The new economy is gaining momentum as China restructures its economic growth pattern, said Ning Jizhe, head of National Bureau of Statistics, on Monday citing the 17 percent surge in robots in the first two months this year.

Supply-side structural reform has made considerable progress, with investments in high-tech sectors leaping forward and steel and cement output witnessing big single-digit decline, he said.

"China's economic growth was stable in the first two months, while showing positive changes," said the NBS chief, adding tourist incomes grew at double-digit during the Spring Festival holiday and dining revenue increased more than 11 percent.

The registered unemployment rate in 31 major cities edged down 0.1 to 0.2 percentage point year-on-year in the first two months, standing at about 5.1 percent, said Ning. The country aims to hold urban unemployment rate below 4.5 percent this year, according to the latest Government Work Report.

"Consumption has increased at a stable 10.2 percent, showing a clear trend of consumption-driven economic growth," he said, adding that the industrial, investment and consumption structures have been optimized, with the tertiary industry contributing to more than half of the country's GDP growth last year.