China’s latest plans to dominate robot, smart car and railway industries by 2020
Shipbuilding, agriculture, medical devices and new materials also targeted as Beijing seeks to upgrade nation’s industrial power
China has unveiled three-year plans to increase the country’s economic competitiveness by developing “key technologies” in nine industrial sectors, from robotics to railways.
The initiatives mark Beijing’s latest efforts to develop industries it deems will play a significant role the in the country’s economic development in the future.
Among the plans published by the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday is one to develop magnetic levitation trains able to travel at up to 600km/h by 2020.
Other areas include smart cars, robotics, advanced shipbuilding and maritime equipment, modern agricultural machinery, advanced medical devices and drugs, new materials, smart manufacturing and machine tools.
The aim is “to make China a powerful manufacturing country” and upgrade the nation’s industrial power through “the internet, big data and artificial intelligence”, the commission said.
To achieve that goal, the agency has laid out specific targets to develop key technologies and guide research and the flow of funds in each sector.