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Sherry Wang

Beijing has vowed to develop emerging industries such as 6G and robotics into new drivers of economic growth by the end of the decade, while pledging renewed efforts to curb cutthroat competition in the domestic automotive industry.
Vice-minister of Industry and Information Technology Xin Guobin outlined plans through 2030 to develop a range of hi-tech industries as new pillars of the economy and sources of future growth, from next-generation 6G communications and quantum technology to brain-computer interfaces and nuclear fusion.
“We will focus on developing new quality productive forces and integrating technological and industrial innovation to promote high-quality development,” Xin said at a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.
As part of the efforts, the ministry said it planned to accelerate the commercialisation of artificial intelligence in manufacturing, with officials highlighting embodied AI – systems that allow robots and automated machines to perceive, learn from and interact with their environment – as a crucial area of development.
Liu Yulin, head of the ministry’s information and communications development department, said next-generation 6G communications would be a “top priority”. The ministry would fast track core technology research, run technology trials and develop industry standards to prepare for eventual commercial roll-outs, Liu added.
The comments come as Beijing pushes to sustain growth through technological self-reliance and industrial upgrading amid mounting economic challenges.
Domestically, sluggish consumer spending, a prolonged property sector slump and industrial overcapacity in sectors like electric vehicles (EV) continue to weigh on the economy. Internationally, China is navigating intense competition in advanced technologies and foreign scrutiny of its booming export sector, including clean energy products.


Addressing the domestic EV industry, Xin, the vice-minister, noted that “irrational competition remains a prominent issue” despite the sector’s growing global influence.
“We must also clearly recognise that the current development of the industry faces a series of problems,” he said.
Xin pointed out that some manufacturers had rushed new vehicle designs to market without sufficient testing and validation, drawing public concern over product quality and safety following several high-profile incidents involving driver-assistance and automated features.
“These problems cannot be ignored or avoided and must be addressed more forcefully during the 15th five-year plan period,” Xin said.
The push for stricter oversight comes as Chinese regulators move to ban retractable car door handles, following a fatal incident last year in which a driver was trapped inside a burning vehicle as bystanders failed to open the doors.
China also saw its largest car recall to date last week, targeting hidden door handles that can be difficult to locate and open in an emergency. The sweeping recall includes 2.98 million China-made and imported vehicles from US EV maker Tesla and 400,000 from its Chinese rival Xiaomi.
In a Tuesday note, economists at ANZ Research wrote that while the rapid rise of China’s “new economy” – particularly clean technology – appeared impressive, “it is not sufficient to offset the domestic property weakness”.
“Industrial advancement is critical to China’s potential growth. But institutional reform is needed to avoid overcapacity in targeted sectors and manage a volatile growth profile,” they added.


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Beijing bets on next-generation manufacturing – and stricter industrial oversight – to secure its economic strategy


Beijing bets on next-generation manufacturing – and stricter industrial oversight – to secure its economic strategy.


China targets hi-tech pillars by 2030 to fuel economic growth

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing bets on next-generation manufacturing – and stricter industrial oversight – to secure its economic strategy

Beijing bets on next-generation manufacturing – and stricter industrial oversight – to secure its economic strategy