BEIJING — The added value of China's patent-intensive industries in 2018 reached 10.71 trillion yuan (about $1.53 trillion), contributing 11.6 percent to its gross domestic product, said a joint statement by the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) and the National Bureau of Statistics on March 13.

This is the first time that China has released such data, marking the establishment of accounting and release mechanisms for the added value of its patent-intensive industries.

The new equipment manufacturing industry had the added value of 3.28 trillion yuan, or 30.7 percent of that of all the patent-intensive sectors. It was followed by industries of the information technology for manufacturing and services, as well as new materials manufacturing.

The healthcare, high-tech services and environmental protection industries ranked fifth, sixth and seventh, the statement said.

China will step up efforts to promote the integration of intellectual property rights and economic development, and it will release the added value data of patent-intensive industries on an annual basis, according to NIPA.