A solar panel production line in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province. Si Wei / For China Daily

BEIJING -- China's installed 7.1 million kilowatts of new photovoltaic power capacity in the first quarter, the National Energy Administration said on Friday.

This brings the country's total installed photovoltaic power capacity to 50.3 million kilowatts, up 52 percent from the end of Q1 last year, according to a statement on the administration's website.

The country's photovoltaic power generation jumped 48 percent year on year to 11.8 billion kilowatt-hours during the first quarter, according to the statement.