Deputies from Zhejiang province attending the third session of the 13th National People's Congress recently discussed how to boost manufacturing growth, believing that many may draw inspiration from the uptick in face mask manufacturing over the past few months.

After demand for face masks skyrocketed due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, many companies in Zhejiang began manufacturing them.

Statistics show that from Jan 21 to May 20, the daily face mask output in Zhejiang increased by a factor of more than 40. The province now houses 36 licensed medical face mask manufacturers, compared with only two at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Zhang Shifang, an NPC deputy and director of the economy and information technology department of Ningbo, said local authorities helped local manufacturers and foreign trade companies export medical supplies to other countries and boosted the city's foreign trade.

"Intelligent technologies hold the key to boosting the production capacity of manufacturing industries," said Zhang, adding that Ningbo developed automated production lines to enhance face mask manufacturing efficiency.

Zhou Hui, an NPC deputy, said companies should try to seek business opportunities through the crisis, and that the government should encourage companies to practice technological innovation.

In addition to face masks, companies in Zhejiang also turned to making protective suits.

Statistics show that the daily output of protective suits in the province increased from zero to 80,000 from Jan 21 to May 20.