BEIJING — China's electronic information manufacturing sector expanded steadily in the first three quarters of this year, official data showed.

Operating revenue of companies above designated size rose 5.4 percent year-on-year in the first nine months, with the growth pace 0.4 percentage points faster than that of the first eight months, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

During the period, the total profit of these companies went up 3.6 percent year-on-year, bucking the trend of the 2.7-percent drop in the first eight months.

Fixed-asset investment in the industry increased 11.6 percent year-on-year, up 3.1 percentage points from the first half of this year, according to the MIIT.

In September alone, the added value of the industry went up 11.4 percent year-on-year, up 6.7 percentage points from August.

In breakdown, profits of telecommunications equipment manufacturers surged 25.4 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters, and that of computer manufacturers registered a yearly growth of 8.2 percent.

MIIT data also showed China's laptop output soared 33 percent year-on-year, while that of smartphones edged down 8.4 percent year-on-year during the period.