BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- China's value-added service output went up 6.4 percent year on year in the first half (H1) of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday.

The growth rate accelerated by 1 percentage point from the pace recorded in the first quarter.

The value-added output of catering and accommodation sectors expanded 15.5 percent year on year in the first six months, and that of information transmission, software, and IT service sectors increased 12.9 percent.

In the January-May period, the combined business revenue of service enterprises above designated size gained 8.5 percent from a year ago.