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China’s fourth plenum
EconomyChina Economy

China sets ‘technological self-reliance’ as a key goal for the next 5 years

Proposal sets out tech target for the first time in at least a decade, with the aim to make ‘rapid breakthroughs in key technologies’

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China is aiming for “technological self-reliance and self-strengthening” as the global tech race intensifies. Photo: Shutterstock
Sylvia Ma

China’s top leadership has made “technological self-reliance and self-strengthening” a key goal in a proposal for the next five-year plan, as it grapples with export controls from the West amid an intensifying global tech race.

It is the first time in at least a decade that technological self-reliance has been set as a major goal for the country’s social and economic development.

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The goal was included in a detailed proposal for China’s 15th five-year plan from 2026 to 2030, which was released on Tuesday by the Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party following its fourth plenum last week.

The full plan will be unveiled in March during the annual session of the top legislature.

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China would aim for “a substantial improvement in technological self-reliance and self-strengthening” over the next five years, with “significant progress in basic research and original innovation, rapid breakthroughs in key technologies of priority areas”, according to the proposal published by state news agency Xinhua.

In addition, China would seek “a clear increase in fields where the country takes the lead, as well as deep integration between technological and industrial innovation”.

The word “technology” appears 46 times in the proposal – compared to 36 mentions in the proposal for the previous five-year plan issued in 2020.

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Xinhua also released an explanatory note on the proposal from President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, which stressed the need to “carry out work in a scientific, rational and pragmatic manner and avoid herd behaviour”, citing a call in the document to “develop new productive forces in line with local conditions”.
It comes as Beijing has this year doubled down on efforts to tackle neijuan – the Chinese term for “involution” – referring to the excessive competition seen in industries including new energy sectors such as photovoltaics leading to more resources being poured in without increasing returns or reinvestment.
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