(Yicai) Dec. 17 -- China defied the global wrist-worn wearables market downturn in the first three quarters, emerging as the world's fastest-growing market for smartwatches and bands with double-digit growth, according to market research firm International Data Corp.

In the first nine months of this year, Chinese shipments jumped 20 percent year-over-year to 45.8 million units, per a report released by IDC today. Smartwatches dominated the market, accounting for more than 70 percent of total shipments at 32.9 million units, representing a 23 percent increase from the previous year. Smart bands comprised the remaining 12.9 million units, up 13 percent.

Driven by sustained Chinese consumer interest in health and wellness, the wrist-worn device market is expected to continue expanding in the coming years. IDC predicts shipments will rise by 3.2 percent to 62.5 million units next year, fueled by improvements in health monitoring functions powered by advancements in artificial intelligence and sensor technologies.

China stands in stark contrast to the global market, where wrist-worn device shipments declined 1 percent to 140 million units during the same period, impacted by homogenized competition and market saturation. Specifically, smartwatch shipments dropped by almost 4 percent to 110 million units, while smart band shipments grew by 13 percent to 26.8 million units.

Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies emerged as the world's leading seller of wrist-worn devices, shipping 23.6 million units and capturing around 17 percent of the market. Throughout the year, Huawei has achieved consistent and steady growth in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and African markets through enhanced localization strategies, according to the same source.

After Huawei, US tech giant Apple ranked second with 22.5 million units shipped, holding about 16 percent of the market share. China's Xiaomi followed in third place with 20.5 million units, trailed by South Korea's Samsung with 11.5 million units, and China's BBK Electronics (primarily known for children's watches) with 7.8 million units.

Editor: Emmi Laine