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Ben Jiang

China is stepping up its efforts to build Beijing and its environs, along with other major city clusters, into “international technological innovation centres”, according to a high-ranking official – part of the country’s accelerated push for tech self-sufficiency.
Speaking at the opening of the state-backed Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said the country would intensify its campaign to achieve “high-level self-reliance in science and technology” by cultivating a group of city clusters to pool their resources and support the country’s ambition of becoming a global technological powerhouse.
Ding, also a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party, said China would develop and position the “Jing-Jin-Ji” region, encompassing Beijing and the neighbouring port city of Tianjin as well as Hebei province, as a major source of innovation.
The Yangtze River Delta, covering Shanghai and surrounding cities, as well as the Greater Bay Area, spanning southern Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau, would be included.
While highlighting the distinguishing features of each cluster, Ding addressed Beijing’s unique strengths at length, citing the national capital’s more than 90 universities and colleges and more than 1,000 research facilities and laboratories.
“We support Beijing in fully leveraging its leading role, with Zhongguancun as the primary hub, to strengthen coordinated innovation and industrial collaboration with Tianjin and Hebei to develop the region into a world-class science centre and innovation highland,” Ding said.
Zhongguancun, which hosts several top research universities and the offices of many leading tech companies, is at the heart of China’s drive to create its own version of Silicon Valley.
Held annually since 2007 by Chinese government agencies and affiliates including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the forum has been used by Beijing to showcase technological advancements while promoting collaboration and exchanges.
This year’s forum, running from March 25 to 29, focuses on the integration of technological and industrial innovations, an appeal that comes amid Beijing’s accelerated push to apply a crop of new technologies, including artificial intelligence and humanoid robots, to real-world use.


More than 1,000 guests from over 100 countries and regions are expected to attend, and over 100 events are planned, covering topics such as AI and humanoid robotics advancement, worldwide digital health, investments and innovations developed by women in the technology industry.
President Xi Jinping, who has previously sent videotaped speeches to the forum, was not present this year.
However, Yin Li, the Communist Party secretary of Beijing and a member of the party's 24-member Politburo, thanked Xi for his “concern and emphasis on using technological innovation to boost the development of productive forces” and his guidance to promote the forum as a platform to facilitate global technological innovation and collaboration.
The event came after China unveiled its 15th five-year plan, a blueprint of key projects from 2026 to 2030, which highlighted AI, frontier technology and the buildout of new, technologically complex and environmentally friendlier infrastructure.
Yin said the forum aimed to bring together expertise from all sectors, chart the critical path from technological strength to industrial applications and strengthen the momentum for high-quality economic growth.
“[We will] have technological innovation drive prosperity and development while strengthening international exchange and cooperation in scientific and technological innovation at the same time,” Yin said.
China also flexed its scientific research muscle at the forum, unveiling 10 of its most important results from last year, from achievements in space exploration to semiconductor breakthroughs and innovative medical research.


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Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang says national capital and its neighbours should become ‘world-class science centre’ at high-profile tech forum


Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang says national capital and its neighbours should become ‘world-class science centre’ at high-profile tech forum.


China names Beijing, other city clusters as global tech hubs in self-reliance push

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang says national capital and its neighbours should become ‘world-class science centre’ at high-profile tech forum

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang says national capital and its neighbours should become ‘world-class science centre’ at high-profile tech forum