BEIJING — China’s value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, expanded 6.9 percent year on year in the first half of this year, compared with the 6.8-percent increase for the first quarter, official data showed on July 17.

The growth rose from the 6-percent increase in the same period of 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Industrial output, officially called industrial value added, is used to measure the activity of designated large enterprises with annual turnover of at least 20 million yuan (nearly $3 million).

In June, industrial production expanded 7.6 percent year on year.

Ownership analysis showed that industrial output of State-holding enterprises was up 6.2 percent in the January-June period, while output of shareholding enterprises grew 7.1 percent. Meanwhile, industrial output of foreign-funded enterprises increased 6.7 percent.