"Five years ago, the sentiment of the Chinese science policymakers was still very much like, we don't want to be too far behind the US, we are still doing the catching up. Now, there is this more palpable sentiment that there's a real chance we can be a true leader."
"The Chinese government now considers science to be as important as other top-level national goals, such as boosting defence, economic growth and the country's international influence. The plan calls for breakthroughs along the 'whole chain of development' in six domains: integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, high-end instruments, basic software, advanced materials and biomanufacturing."
China's 15th five-year plan, approved by the top legislature and running from 2026 to 2030, represents a strategic shift toward technological leadership rather than catching up to the US. The government has elevated science to equal importance with defense, economic growth, and international influence. R&D expenditure will increase significantly, with the science budget rising 10% to 426 billion yuan in 2026. The plan prioritizes overcoming technological bottlenecks in six critical domains: integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, high-end instruments, basic software, advanced materials, and biomanufacturing. This comprehensive approach aims to develop complete domestic capabilities across entire industry chains, reducing reliance on foreign technology.
#china-technology-strategy #artificial-intelligence-leadership #semiconductor-self-sufficiency #five-year-plan-2026-2030 #technological-independence
Read at Nature
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]