China transforming into innovation powerhouse

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By Ma Si (China Daily) 09:39, March 17, 2025

A Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is presented in Mixc Mall in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Feb 28. (Zhang Lang/China News Service)

China's sharpened focus on pursuing integrated advancements in technological and industrial innovation showcases its determination to translate scientific breakthroughs into real-world applications, and such a strategy will help it transform into a global innovation powerhouse and maintain its edge amid competition and uncertainties, experts and company executives said.

Highlighting that bridging the gap between laboratories and production lines is a key pillar of China's push for new quality productive forces, they said this emphasizes not only breakthroughs in frontier technologies, but also scientific achievements that fuel economic vitality.

As 2025 marks the last year of China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the nation's emphasis on nurturing sectors such as 6G, quantum computing, robotics and artificial intelligence will also help it establish a beachhead in these future industries for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, they added.

President Xi Jinping underlined the need for Jiangsu province, one of China's economic powerhouses, to lead the integration of sci-tech and industrial innovation when he took part in a deliberation with his fellow lawmakers during the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, earlier this month.

According to China's 2025 Government Work Report, "We should pursue integrated advancements in technological and industrial innovation, press ahead with new industrialization, expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing, and vigorously develop modern services. This will enable us to build up the momentum of new growth drivers while upgrading and reviving traditional ones."

Pan Jiaofeng, a deputy to the 14th NPC and president of the Institutes of Science and Development, which is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said economically developed provinces such as Jiangsu should seize the opportunity from a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

"By relying on a solid industrial foundation, they should promote the renewal and upgrade of traditional industries, cultivate new momentum, take the lead in shaping new development advantages and drive more regions to catch up," he said.

People check out a newly released AI studying pad from tech company iFlytek in a shopping center in Shanghai on Jan 17. (Photo/China Daily)

To integrate technological innovation and industrial innovation, Pan said it is necessary to build platforms, improve institutional mechanisms, strengthen the position of enterprises as the main innovators, and seamlessly connect the innovation and the industrial chains.

Lei Jun, a deputy to the 14th NPC and chairman of Xiaomi Corp, said: "We are full of confidence in developing new quality productive forces and remain unwavering in driving high-quality development through innovation. This year's Government Work Report consistently emphasizes 'innovation' and 'high-quality development', which deeply inspires me as a private entrepreneur in the tech sector and reinforces my confidence in achieving high-quality growth.

"I am moved by the nation's resolve to enhance the overall efficiency of its innovation system. One line from the report particularly resonates with me — promoting the spirit of scientists and fostering an innovative environment that encourages exploration and tolerates failure. This is the greatest encouragement for scientific research and entrepreneurial innovation."

He added, "Additionally, the report also emphasizes the need to leverage the leading role of sci-tech enterprises to advance high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in technology, which reminds me of the immense responsibility we shoulder."

The senior executive said that Xiaomi, which has invested 105 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) in research and development over the past five years, will continue to pursue breakthroughs in more crucial technologies and apply them to products.

Jin Li, vice-president of the Southern University of Science and Technology and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said: "Relying on the aggregation of scientific and technological resources, China is well-placed to coordinate the comprehensive reform and development of the education, science and technology talent system, so as to unleash a powerful momentum for scientific and technological innovation to lead high-quality development."

In 2024, China's total R&D expenditure reached 3.6 trillion yuan, an 8 percent increase from the previous year. The proportion of basic research funding within the total R&D budget hit 6.91 percent, and there were 14 high-value invention patents per 10,000 people, data from the government work report showed.