An annual report that measures the quality competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry has shown an increase for the eighth year in a row.

The national quality competitiveness index (QCI) for the country's manufacturing sectors was 79.98 last year, one point higher than in 2005, according to a press release issued on Friday by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the country's quality agency.

The steady increase in quality competitiveness effectively supports the development of the national economy and foreign trade, Pu Changcheng, the administration's vice-minister said.