China’s major projects are powering an early-year economic rebound, as new data reveals strong growth in infrastructure and manufacturing investment. The State Taxation Administration reported that 182 large-scale projects broke ground between January and March. Each of these projects carried a price tag of over 1 billion yuan, pushing total investment to 340 billion yuan. That figure marks a 39.1 percent rise compared with the same period last year. The trend signals strong confidence in national development goals across multiple regions.
Among China’s major projects, transport infrastructure took the lead with rail and expressway construction dominating early activity. Major examples included the Weifang-Suqian High-Speed Railway’s Linyi section and the G322 expressway in Jiangxi Province. Meanwhile, eastern provinces also accelerated work in high-tech sectors to fuel innovation-driven growth. Anhui launched a 2 billion yuan project to produce next-generation display screens. At the same time, Zhejiang began building a science park for AI component manufacturing.
Smaller-scale investments also contributed to the broader construction boom, especially those under 5 million yuan in value. The first quarter recorded 17,000 such projects, an increase of 4.8 percent from last year. Collectively, these developments reached a combined value of nearly 28 billion yuan. Many of them focused on public welfare and local services, from housing to small-scale infrastructure. This wave of activity supports economic dynamism in towns and counties, not just urban centers.
Analysts say China’s major projects are stimulating both the supply and demand sides of the economy. Wang Peng of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences highlighted how infrastructure creates immediate jobs and supports upstream industries. He also noted that high-tech investments are essential for upgrading China’s industrial landscape. Moreover, livelihood-focused projects unlock consumer spending by boosting household confidence. Together, these forces are helping China sustain stable and broad-based growth.
The National Bureau of Statistics confirmed a 4.2 percent increase in fixed-asset investment during the first quarter. This figure outpaced 2024’s full-year average by one percentage point, indicating fresh momentum. Infrastructure investment grew 5.8 percent year-on-year, while manufacturing investment climbed by 9.1 percent. Furthermore, tax authorities pledged consistent support to ensure the completion of all ongoing initiatives. As a result, China’s major projects are set to play a central role in its economic transformation throughout 2025.
