Key industries, regions make outstanding contributions to China's industrial growth in first three quarters: official

China's industrial economy had maintained smooth operation in the first three quarters of this year, with key industries and regions making particularly outstanding contributions, said an official of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Zhao Zhiguo, chief engineer of the MIIT, said that China's industrial economy showed three major characteristics in the January to September period.

"Industrial production had grown steadily, and we had been actively promoting the implementation of policies. In the first three quarters, the added value of industries above the designated size increased by 5.8 percent year on year, with the total industrial added value accounting for 31.8 percent of the GDP," Zhao said.

"Key industries and regions had made outstanding contributions. We had thoroughly implemented the work plan for stabilizing growth in ten key industries, and given full play to the key supporting role of major industrial provinces and cities. The four industries of electronics, nonferrous metals, chemicals, and automobiles contributed nearly half of the growth in industrial production, and the growth rate in nine major industrial provinces exceeded the national average," he said.

"The momentum of development continued to accumulate. We actively promoted equipment renewal and technological transformation in the industrial field, and pushed forward the transformation of sci-tech achievements into productivity. Investment in equipment and tools increased by 16.4 percent year on year. The output of products with high technological content and high added value, such as artificial intelligence chips and servers, had grown rapidly," Zhao said.

Key industries, regions make outstanding contributions to China's industrial growth in first three quarters: official

As vote counting begun following Ireland's general election on Friday, exit polls show a neck-and-neck race between the country's three major political parties, with Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party, taking a narrow lead. 

Voting concluded at 22:00 on Friday night and counting began on Saturday morning as Ireland's 3.8 million voters choose new members of the 174-seat lower chamber of parliament, the Dail. 

While the final outcome may take several days to determine, an exit poll of some 5,000 people on Friday has given a clear indication of the result. 

The poll puts Sinn Fein on 21.1 percent, just ahead of Fine Gael on 21 percent, and Fianna Fail on 19.5 percent. 

For over a century since Ireland's independence, every government has been led by one of two main political parties--Fianna Fail and Fine Gael-- both seen as centre-right parties. However, the 2020 general election marked a shift, when Sinn Fein emerged as the second-largest party and largest opposition force in parliament. 

Sinn Fein, a left-wing, radical party, has a significant edge among younger voters and low-income groups. It advocates for social reforms and champions the idea of a unified Ireland by any means, including the use of force. 

Political analysts suggest that under Ireland's electoral system known as proportional representation, it is unlikely any single party will secure an outright majority in parliament. While Sinn Fein is expected to win a narrow majority of votes in this election, forming a coalition government afterwards remains a challenge for the party. 

Some analysts believe that if Sinn Fein successfully forms a coalition with other parties, the issue of Irish reunification could shift from the fringes to the center of the country's political agenda.

Sinn Fein holds slim lead in Irish general election: exit poll