China recorded 3.8775 trillion yuan (472.8 billion US dollars) in added industrial output value for the first three quarters of this year, up 17 percent year-on-year, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

The country's heavy industry reported 18.5 percent increase in its added industrial output value, while the growth rate for the light industry stands at 15.4 percent, according to the bureau.

The statistics include those figures for the firms whose annual sales revenues are at 5 million yuan (609,000 US dollars) and above.

The bureau said Chinese firms reported improved economic returns during the period.

Those firms posted 808.8 billion yuan (98.6 billion US dollars) in profits, up 39.8 percent, and their ratio of production to sales is 97.8 percent, up 0.2 percentage points.