The absolute value of China's manufacturing industry continues to increase, ranking first in the world for the 14th consecutive year and having shown major improvement in sustainable development in recent years, according to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Engineering on Monday.

"This indicates that China's transition to green and low-carbon development has achieved significant results," said Wang Decheng, an expert from the drafting team of the 2024 China Manufacturing Power Development Index Report.

Wang said that based on recent data, China has seen great increases in the indicators of energy consumption per unit of value added in manufacturing and the comprehensive usage rate of industrial solid waste. He also said the global competitiveness of the country's manufacturing industry is on the rise.

The report is an authoritative index for objectively evaluating the overall level of China's manufacturing industry and has been published annually since 2015, according to the CAE.

Gao Jifan, director of the State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, said that nurturing advanced manufacturing clusters is an important path for China, with the cluster development of China's photovoltaic industry being a successful case.

"The guiding role of policies has been a decisive factor in the successful development of Jiangsu's photovoltaic industry cluster. We have brought together various resources to form a cluster synergy, which is why we lead the world in the photovoltaic industry," Gao said.

The green photovoltaic cluster in Jiangsu province is centered around cities such as Yancheng, Changzhou, Suqian and Huai'an, with a total output value reaching 370.5 billion yuan ($50.7 billion) last year, accounting for over one-fifth of the national total.

Data from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association shows that in the first 10 months of this year, the production of photovoltaic polysilicon and batteries in China increased by over 20 percent year-on-year.

Gao mentioned that in recent years, he has shared experiences in countries such as France and Australia to promote international cooperation in the field of clean energy.

"Before 2010, China was a follower in the photovoltaic industry. From 2010 to 2020, it became a pioneer. Now, we lead the industry," he said.

"But there is still room for improvement in China's manufacturing industry. We have leading technology and production capacity, and making sure we lead in terms of efficiency would be the next important development direction," he added.

Academician Chen Jianfeng, secretary-general of the CAE, said: "China's manufacturing industry is at a critical moment in its continuous advancement towards becoming a strong nation. Faced with complex domestic and international situations, we must seize the historical opportunities brought by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, leverage our strengths and address our weaknesses."

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn