China’s ‘two sessions’: Communist Party to oversee science sector in self-reliance push as US tech war intensifies

Name: AI chip maker ordered by US government to halt exports to China
Uploaded: 2023-03-07T14:36:23.000Z
Duration: 1 min 36 s
Description: AI chip maker ordered by US government to halt exports to China

State Council draft plan emphasises need to fend off ‘external containment and suppression’

President Xi Jinping has warned of US-led West posing ‘unprecedented and severe challenges’ to China’s development

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State Council secretary general Xiao Jie has highlighted the need for “high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement”. Photo: AFP

Echo Xie

Published: 10:36pm, 7 Mar 2023Updated: 10:49pm, 7 Mar 2023

China’s ruling Communist Party will set up a central committee to oversee the science and technology sector, as part of a major reshuffle of state and party institutions to speed up advancement and self-reliance.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will also be restructured, with some of its management responsibilities transferred, according to a draft plan submitted by China’s cabinet – the State Council – to its national legislature on Tuesday.

The overhaul comes as the United States doubles down on its containment strategy against China, targeting Chinese semiconductor, artificial intelligence and biotechnology companies over what it says are security concerns.

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AI chip maker ordered by US government to halt exports to China

China must focus on technological self-reliance in the face of global rivalry and “external containment and suppression”, State Council secretary general Xiao Jie told the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the top legislative body’s annual session in Beijing.

“In the face of this severe situation … it has become imperative to … accelerate the realisation of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.”

The central committee for science and technology would help to strengthen the party’s supervision of the sector, Xiao said, while the restructuring of the ministry aimed to further “straighten out” management processes and better coordinate efforts to overcome difficulties in the development of core technologies.

This came a day after President Xi Jinping said the external environment for China’s development had changed dramatically and there had been a significant increase in uncertain and unpredictable factors.

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