Amid US tech war, Premier Li Qiang urges China to focus on application of core technologies

Premier Li Qiang visited a university, as well as semiconductor, laser and chemical manufacturers, during a two-day visit to the central province of Hubei this week

He called for improved collaboration between academia and business amid the ongoing tech war with the United States

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Premier Li Qiang visited a university, as well as semiconductor, laser and chemical manufacturers, during a two-day visit to the central Hubei province this week.

Published: 8:30pm, 4 Jan 2024

Premier Li Qiang pushed for “more and better” market applications of core technologies amid China’s self-reliance drive during a two-day tour of Hubei province this week, with the world’s second-largest economy in urgent need of stabilisation to quell investor concerns and lift market confidence.

“We must expedite the development of productivity driven by emerging technology, and kick-start a robust economic start of the year,” he said in a statement following the tour of the central province on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Hubei is a key part of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, which is one of President Xi Jinping’s key regional development strategies. It includes 11 provinces and municipalities, and accounts for over 40 per cent of China’s population and economic size.

“We need to improve collaboration between academia and business, by introducing more precise and supportive measures, thus fluidly turning scientific research into market production,” the premier said after visiting HGLaser Engineering and semiconductor manufacturer Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) in the provincial capital of Wuhan.

Given the escalating containment efforts by the United States, Beijing is continually seeking to tackle choke points with home-grown technology.

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