The machinery industry in China has experienced remarkable growth from 2002 to 2012, with the total output value rising from 1.86 trillion yuan to 18.41 trillion yuan. This represents an increase of nearly nine times over the decade, significantly outpacing the national GDP growth rate. Over this period, key sectors such as power generation equipment, large and medium-sized tractors, CNC machine tools, and automobiles have seen rapid development. By 2012, China's power generation capacity reached 127 million kW, while the production of large and medium-sized tractors hit 463,000 units, including 56,000 large-scale models. The production of CNC machine tools reached 219,000 units, and automobile output soared to 19.27 million vehicles.
In addition, the development of metallurgical mining machinery, petrochemical equipment, construction machinery, instrumentation, and food packaging machinery has also accelerated. The scale of China's machinery industry has surpassed that of the U.S., Japan, and Germany, making it the world's largest. Several critical products, including power generation equipment, transformers, automobiles, excavators, motorcycles, and large tractors, now lead globally.
Domestic self-sufficiency in mechanical products has improved significantly, with independent brands gaining momentum. For example, the self-sufficiency rate for construction machinery increased from around 70% during the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" to over 80%. Major breakthroughs include the 5.5m wide thick plate mill, 10 million tons of underground coal mine equipment, and the world’s largest φ7.9×13.6m ore ball mill. In petrochemical machinery, the core unit of 1 million tons of ethylene equipment has been localized. In metal processing, advancements include 16m and 22m CNC vertical lathes, the world's largest 2.5m×15m roll grinder, and the first 11m-wide CNC gantry boring and milling machine.
Power generation equipment saw the successful development of high-power supercritical thermal units and a 700,000 kW mixed-flow turbine. Power transmission and transformation technology reached new heights with 1MV UHV AC and ±800kV DC systems. Construction machinery featured the world’s longest 101m boom concrete pump truck and the largest 11.22m mud-water balance shield machine.
International cooperation flourished after China joined the WTO. Through technology imports, foreign investment, and exports, the industry expanded rapidly. In 2012, machinery exports reached $350.6 billion—nearly seven times higher than in 2002. Foreign-funded enterprises accounted for more than half of these exports, contributing significantly to growth. Companies like Jinan No. 2 Machine Tool secured contracts with global giants like Ford.
Chinese firms also actively "went out," establishing overseas operations and acquiring foreign companies. Examples include Beijing No. 1 Machine Tool’s acquisition of a German firm and Geely’s purchase of Volvo. These moves enhanced technical capabilities and global reach.
Despite progress, challenges remain. China still lags behind advanced countries in R&D, innovation, and management practices. To meet the goal of a moderately prosperous society by 2020, the industry must enhance innovation, improve efficiency, and further open up. The road ahead is long, but with sustained effort, China's machinery sector can continue its upward trajectory.
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