Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng said on Tuesday that China accounts for more than 30 percent of global manufacturing growth. “China has maintained its position as the world’s largest manufacturer for 15 consecutive years,” Li said, according to the state news agency Xinhua. He added that over 570 Chinese industrial companies are now among the world’s top 2,500 research and development spenders. Li noted that the country’s manufacturing value-added output is expected to increase by more than 8 trillion yuan (about 1.13 trillion US dollars) during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021 to 2025).