China committed to driving development through science and technology innovation

The 2026 government work report mentions many achievements made in the science and technology sector. Last year, China's R&D spending reached 2.8 percent of GDP, and the value of technology contract transactions increased by 10.8 percent. The integration of technological and industrial innovation has picked up pace; the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries has continued; emerging industries and industries of the future achieved impressive growth; and rapid development was sustained in modern services. The industrial application of artificial intelligence gathered pace, and new intelligent terminals emerged continuously.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, China's momentum for scientific and technological innovation remained robust, with new drivers generated by innovation emerging as fresh engines of economic growth. High-tech industries and strategic emerging industries have significantly strengthened their support for economic expansion, acting as accelerators in the transition from old growth drivers to new ones. Future-oriented industries, including artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, biomanufacturing, quantum information, humanoid robotics and new types of energy storage are rapidly taking shape as sources of new quality productive forces.

China vows to focus on high-quality development in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, requiring the promotion of new quality productive forces driven by science and technology innovation. In order to do so, the government will enhance the foundational capabilities and competitiveness of industries, foster new industries and emerging growth sectors, advance breakthroughs in frontier technologies, and strengthen fundamental innovation capacity.

This year carries important historical significance as it marks the opening of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, linking the past with the future to ensure a strong start to the new plan. In light of the current domestic and international economic landscape, as well as the challenges facing innovation-driven development, the government work report has identified the need to foster new growth drivers at a faster pace, and develop new quality productive forces in light of local conditions.

At the same time, China will continue to build a modernized industry system, moving faster to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and seizing the historic opportunities emerging from the latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation to raise innovation capacity across the board and provide the scientific and technological underpinning needed for high-quality development.

Sui Jigang, director of the Institute of Innovation and Development Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institutes of Science and Development.

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