Nation vows to bolster support for scientific, technological innovation

A humanoid robot follows instructions through remote control to learn how to cook at a robot pre-training facility in Hefei, Anhui province, on Thursday. (HAN SUYUAN/CHINA NEWS SERVICE)

The country has pledged to step up support for scientific and technological innovation, according to a report submitted on Tuesday to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the national legislature.

The report, prepared by the State Council, China's Cabinet, outlined how China will intensify efforts to achieve scientific and technological breakthroughs and speed up revolutionary advances, amid increasingly fierce global competition and a growing need to enhance high-quality technological output.

Key measures include increasing spending on basic research, improving funding mechanisms that combine competitive and stable support, and raising the organizational level of basic research.

China has achieved steady progress in tackling core technologies, resolving a number of bottleneck issues, the report said. In the integrated circuit sector, the country has strengthened capabilities across the entire industrial chain, from design and manufacturing to packaging and testing.

As a result, the output of integrated circuits rose by 22.2 percent last year, while exports topped 1.1 trillion yuan ($153.3 billion), a record high.

The report said future plans will focus on solidifying the role of enterprises in driving innovation by establishing institutional support, including a research and development reserve fund system. Efforts will also be made to deepen industry-university-research collaboration led by enterprises, enabling them to participate in national decision-making and lead major innovation projects.

The report highlighted the significant progress in developing Beijing, Shanghai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into global innovation hubs. All three ranked among the world's top five technology clusters in 2024.

To advance industrial transformation, the report laid out plans for major technological upgrades in manufacturing and large-scale equipment renewal projects. China's push for intelligent manufacturing has yielded notable outcomes, with the country accounting for more than 50 percent of newly installed industrial robots globally each year, it said.

Additional priorities include accelerating the development of emerging sectors such as biomanufacturing, quantum technology and embodied artificial intelligence. Large-scale demonstration projects will be launched for new technologies, products and applications.

The report noted that a growth mechanism for future industries has already been put in place and that the establishment of a national startup investment fund is being accelerated.