Changchun city in Jilin province. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Profits from large-scale industries in Northeast China's Jilin province reached 16.6 billion yuan ($2.3 billion) from January to April, representing year-on-year growth of 11.1 percent, according to data released by the provincial bureau of statistics.

This marks the first time since 2022 that the growth rate has turned from negative to positive, indicating a steady and noticeable recovery in the economic performance of large-scale industries in the province.

The automobile industry, a pillar industry in Jilin, played a significant role in driving the overall industrial growth. Statistics reveal there was a 27.2-percent year-on-year increase in the value added by the automobile industry in the first four months of the year. This contributed 53.6 percent to the industrial value added in Jilin overall, boosting the total industrial growth rate by 7.2 percentage points.

Leading automobile manufacturers also reported impressive sales figures during this period. Hongqi, a brand under FAW Group, sold 91,900 vehicles, representing a remarkable year-on-year growth of 132 percent.

Additionally, Jiefang, another brand of FAW Group, achieved a cumulative sales volume of 79,500 vehicles, marking a 5.94-percent increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, Jiefang's sales in April skyrocketed by 154.97-percent year-on-year, reclaiming the top spot in the market.