appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Sylvia Ma

Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper integration of artificial intelligence and manufacturing during a visit to Shanghai, as Beijing seeks to expand advanced manufacturing and emerging industries amid intensifying global technology competition.
“[We] should combine China’s strengths in manufacturing and digital technologies,” Li said during his visit to an AI application testing base in the city on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
He called for the creation of more manufacturing service platforms, covering areas such as industrial design, pilot testing and intelligent maintenance, to help companies – particularly small and medium-sized firms – upgrade operations more efficiently and at lower cost.
Li’s comments followed President Xi Jinping’s call last week to make China’s supply chains more resilient and self-sufficient while accelerating the development of a modern industrial system underpinned by advanced manufacturing.
While visiting an incubator for future industries in Shanghai, Li said future industries could become a “potential blue ocean” for advanced manufacturing, calling on the country to make breakthroughs in core technologies and strengthen the foundations of basic research.


The country needed to expand venture capital investment, grow its pool of “patient capital” and establish mechanisms to increase investment in future industries while sharing risks, Li added, pointing to such sectors’ long development cycles and high market risks.
He also highlighted talent as a “primary resource”, calling for more efforts to attract and develop talent through research institutions, innovation platforms, companies and technology programmes, while exploring new ways to nurture top innovators.
Also on Tuesday, Li met executives of international charity organisation WorldSkills, who were in China to attend the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, according to Xinhua.
Li said China would continue to improve its training, evaluation and incentive systems for skilled workers, while sharing its experience and public resources with other countries to help spread the benefits of skills development.
“China will continue to support the WorldSkills organisation’s development and help expand its work in competitions, education and training, academic research, poverty reduction through skills and South-South cooperation,” he said.


AI trade outlook brightens on falling oil and Meta’s Muse agent ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

Alibaba Cloud set to open new data centres in Europe next year as overseas push gains pace

In France, prosecutors probe secret filming of women with smart glasses

China’s Premier Li Qiang calls for harnessing AI to propel manufacturing advances

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang visits a pilot-test base for artificial intelligence applications in Shanghai on September 22, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

President Xi’s industrial power play sees China bet big on AI, chips and smarter factories

An automated guided vehicle operates at the workshop of a building-materials company in northern China's Tianjin last month. The nation is looking to build more smart factories. Photo: Xinhua

The US-China tech war has evolved since the last Xi-Trump summit. Who has the edge now?

Illustration: Henry Wong

Asia investors demand AI revenue proof as focus shifts from exposure to earnings: BofA

In a recent Bank of America survey of fund managers, four out of five respondents said proven, tangible AI monetisation would most increase their conviction to add to AI-related stocks. Photo: Shutterstock

Chris Oberoi, head of Asia-Pacific research at BofA Global Research. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Tech

Tech Trends

Policy

Economy

China Economy

Li calls for service platforms to help companies, particularly SMEs, with functions such as industrial design, pilot testing and maintenance


Li calls for service platforms to help companies, particularly SMEs, with functions such as industrial design, pilot testing and maintenance.


China’s Premier Li Qiang calls for harnessing AI to propel manufacturing advances

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Li calls for service platforms to help companies, particularly SMEs, with functions such as industrial design, pilot testing and maintenance

Li calls for service platforms to help companies, particularly SMEs, with functions such as industrial design, pilot testing and maintenance