BEIJING, Oct. 1 -- Profits in China's heavy machinery industry - which includes sectors such as autos, power generation equipment, hydro equipment and machine tools - rose more than 40 percent in the first 8 months of this year.

According to the latest statistics released by China's State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC), the auto industry alone earned profits of 46.4 billion yuan (5.8 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 48.1 percent.

Light industry profits grew 32.5 percent to 158.2 billion yuan, profits in the electronics industry grew 28.1 percent to 60 billion yuan, and profits in the medical industry edged up eight percent to 24.5 billion yuan, according to the statistics.