Industrial sector gets a boost in first quarter

China's industrial sector made a strong start in the first quarter, with the industrial value-added output rising 6.8 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday.

The expansion came as the nation stepped up a gear in promoting supply-side structural reform and building itself into a manufacturing powerhouse, Chen Yin, chief engineer of the MIIT, said at a news conference.

Industrial production expanded at a steady pace, while the sector's profitability and entrepreneurial confidence improved, Chen said, citing official data.