A consumer buys condiments at a supermarket in Zaozhuang, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's economy maintained its steady momentum in August despite external uncertainties, with solid progress continuing to be made in high-quality development, official data showed Monday.

The country has witnessed steady advancement in economic operation, with growth rates of major indicators such as production, retail sales and employment for the January-August period all broadly in line with that of the first seven months of 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Domestic demand continued to expand, the NBS said. In the first eight months of 2025, retail sales of consumer goods rose 4.6 percent from a year earlier, while service consumption, such as tourism and live performances, was particularly active. In the January-August period, service retail sales grew by 5.1 percent -- faster than that of goods.

In the industrial sector, the value-added output of major industrial enterprises rose by 5.2 percent year on year in August. The manufacturing sector performed well, recording a 5.7-percent increase in value-added output.

Fu Linghui, a spokesperson with the NBS, said with artificial intelligence thriving and digital empowerment accelerating -- rapid expansion has been witnessed in relevant sectors.

In August, the value-added output of manufacturing of smart vehicle equipment, electronic components and equipment, as well as integrated circuits, had increased by 17.7 percent, 13.1 percent and 23.5 percent year on year, respectively, Fu revealed.

On the job front, China's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.3 percent in August, up 0.1 percent from July.

"The slight increase was due to the graduation season," said Fu, who noted that the August figure remained consistent with the level observed during the same period last year. Employment among key groups was also kept generally stable.

Despite a sluggish global economy and external uncertainties, China's goods trade demonstrated continued resilience. In August, total foreign trade grew by 3.5 percent year on year -- marking the third consecutive month that both exports and imports achieved simultaneous growth.

Other bright spots included the producer price index, which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, which ended its downward trend by holding steady in August after a 0.2-percent month-on-month decrease in July -- with coal mining and ferrous metals processing prices rising 2.8 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.

"Regulation of disorderly competition among enterprises and capacity management in key sectors have improved supply-demand relations, driving positive changes in prices," Fu told the press.

Fu cautioned about lingering challenges -- including a complex external environment with multiple instabilities, stronger supply than demand in the domestic market, and business difficulties faced by some companies.

However, looking forward, he said the fundamentals underpinning China's long-term economic growth remain intact.

"With macro policies taking effect, reform and opening up further deepening, and the interplay between domestic and international economic flows becoming smoother -- the economy is well-positioned for steady and positive development," Fu explained.

Thanks to the implementation of special actions to boost consumption, optimization of trade-in programs for consumer goods, and the rollout of livelihood policies including childcare subsidies and free preschool education, residents' consumption capacity and willingness are expected to be strengthened, Fu added.

"The upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays will further drive holiday spending, with consumption expected to continue growing in both scale and quality," he said.

Concerning the next stage, Fu voiced confidence that solid implementation of a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy would boost policy effectiveness and strongly support steady economic growth.