An employee works on the production line at a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026. (Photo/Xinhua)

Beijing - China will step up support for the productive services sector across the whole industrial chain, covering research and development, production and logistics, an official said during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

The remarks were made by Li Chunfang, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), who cited recently issued State Council guidelines aimed at improving the capacity and quality of China's services sector.

The guidelines identify six priorities, including strengthening the supporting role of science and technology services, enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness of modern logistics, and accelerating innovation in software and information services, Li said.

She also noted that efforts will focus on improving specialized supply chain finance services, developing energy-saving and environmental protection services, and strengthening and optimizing business services.

As China's top economic planner, the NDRC is clarifying responsibilities for key tasks and working with relevant departments to further detail supporting measures, she said.

According to the NDRC, productive services are those that support and enhance production, covering areas such as research, development and design, supply chain management, inspection and testing, and modern logistics.

China's productive services sector has maintained steady growth in recent years, with value-added output rising from 27.57 trillion yuan (about 4.03 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2020 to 42.18 trillion yuan in 2025. The number of related business entities expanded by an average of 8 percent annually from 2020 to 2024, NDRC data showed.