China is preparing to outline a new phase of its technological strategy as policymakers gather in Beijing for the annual “Two Sessions” meetings, where the country’s leadership is expected to approve a new five-year economic blueprint centred on innovation and industrial transformation.
The upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan is set to guide China’s economic direction into the next decade, signalling how the government intends to deploy technologies developed in recent years to strengthen productivity and expand the country’s global technological influence. The plan follows a period in which Beijing prioritised domestic innovation and reduced reliance on foreign technology, particularly in response to trade tensions and export controls from the United States.
Chinese officials are expected to focus on translating technological progress into broader industrial application. Over the past several years, the country has invested heavily in sectors including artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and advanced robotics. These industries have grown rapidly, with Chinese companies increasingly competing with international rivals in emerging technologies and high-value manufacturing.
The new policy framework is also expected to emphasise breakthroughs in strategic technologies such as advanced semiconductors, industrial machine tools and other core components considered vital to economic and technological self-sufficiency. Analysts say the government is likely to pursue what officials have described as “extraordinary measures” to accelerate progress in key areas of research and development.
Alongside these efforts, Beijing has identified a range of future industries that could shape the next phase of technological competition. These include quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear fusion energy, brain–computer interfaces, embodied artificial intelligence and next-generation mobile communications such as 6G.
Observers say the strategy reflects a shift from prioritising technological breakthroughs alone to ensuring that innovations are applied across China’s vast manufacturing base and major urban economies. This approach aims to integrate new technologies into industrial production, services and infrastructure to support productivity growth.
At the same time, policymakers face broader economic challenges including slower growth, weaker consumer confidence and demographic pressures from a declining birth rate. How the new plan balances technological ambition with these domestic economic issues will shape expectations about China’s role in the next phase of global technological competition.
