BEIJING (Reuters) – China will formulate plans to foster emerging industries including quantum computing and continue efforts to achieve technological self-sufficiency, a government work report said.
It also plans to step up efforts in big data and artificial intelligence (AI) and launch a number of major science and technology programs to achieve key strategic and industrial development goals, the report shows. .
“We will make full use of the strengths of the new system of mobilizing resources across the country and comprehensively improve China’s innovation capabilities,” he said.
The Chinese government has made technological self-sufficiency a priority after being hit hard in recent years by trade tensions with the United States, which has restricted exports of chips and other components to China.
He says he wants to improve national security and economic resilience by developing domestic innovation capacity and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers, and he sees the government’s role in committing resources to achieving this goal. increasingly emphasized.
The emphasis on emerging technologies such as AI this year is not surprising, said Alfredo Montúfer Hell, Beijing-based director of the Conference Board China Center.
This is in line with last year’s Central Economic Work Conference, which stated that building technological independence and strength, and improving supply chain resilience and security levels are top priorities for the government’s efforts from 2024 onwards. He added that he was identified as
Since last year, the ruling Communist Party has been given more power to shape technology-related policy as part of a major government reorganization.
China established a new technical commission under the jurisdiction of the Communist Party, made the Ministry of Science and Technology subordinate to the commission, and effectively transferred some of the ministry’s traditional duties.
“I think the government believes this centralization will reduce coordination costs and make it more effective in targeting key technology developments,” said Doug Fuller, a researcher at Copenhagen Business School.
“However, the flow of information needed to enact effective policy may be reduced by centralization, thus further reinforcing the existing problem of information asymmetries between central ministries and other actors. It could get worse.”
The report said China will further develop top-notch scientists and innovation teams, and improve mechanisms for discovering and nurturing top-notch innovators.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Edwina Gibbs and Alexander Smith)