This year, China's national Two Sessions have sent a clear signal that the world's second-largest economy is dedicated to advance through sci-tech innovation.
According to the 2025 Government Work Report, submitted on March 5 to the annual session of the national legislature, China will remain committed to innovation-driven development, with a focus on the cultivation of professionals and integrated progress in education and sci-tech innovation.
In its pursuit of high-quality development, China views science and technology as the primary productive force and relies on innovation to open new frontiers and foster fresh driving forces.
On March 5, Premier Li Qiang noted in the Government Work Report that China's breakthroughs in innovation – including integrated circuits, AI, quantum technology, the historic lunar sample return by Chang'e-6, and the commissioning of the deep-sea drilling ship Mengxiang – demonstrate the nation's accelerating technological prowess.
This year's Government Work Report outlines China's commitment to promoting emerging industries such as commercial spaceflight and the low-altitude economy, while also cultivating industries of the future, including biomanufacturing, quantum technology, embodied AI and 6G.
This innovation drive has boosted China's economic structural adjustment. In 2024, the industrial added value of national high-tech zones accounted for 24.1 percent of the country's total. Meanwhile, the added value of core digital economy industries rose to about 10 percent of national GDP last year, according to Xinhua.
Among emerging technologies, embodied AI and humanoid robots are set to become pivotal forces in modernizing China's industrial landscape, with applications expanding from industrial settings into everyday life.
The report emphasizes advancing the "AI+" initiative, integrating digital technologies with manufacturing and market strengths. Key areas include smart robots, AI-powered devices, and intelligent manufacturing systems.
Experts note that embodied AI marks AI's transition from virtual to physical realms, reshaping industries and human-machine collaboration. To fully harness this transition, China must leverage hardware innovation, real-world deployment, and ethical governance, according to Science and Technology Daily.
The report also prioritizes the safe development of commercial aerospace, low-altitude economy, and frontier industries like biomanufacturing, quantum technology, and 6G. While still in the early stages of R&D, 6G is widely regarded as a transformative technology for digitalization. Wu Hequan, academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), noted that 6G will offer broader innovation and commercial potential than its predecessor.
On June 25, 2024, Chang'e-6 completed humanity's first lunar far-side sample return, retrieving 1,935.3 grams of material after a 53-day mission. The samples revealed volcanic activity from about 2.8 billion years ago, filling a critical gap in lunar science. Two related studies were published in Nature and Science in November 2024.
Commissioned on November 17, 2024, China's first domestically built deep-sea drilling vessel, Mengxiang, boasts a record drilling depth of 11,000 meters. Equipped with nine advanced labs and automated core-handling systems, it signifies China's growing capabilities in deep-sea research and marine technology.
An AI-driven analysis of 31 provincial government work reports has revealed a nationwide pivot toward high-tech development. Conducted by Wei Peng, associate researcher at the National Center for Science and Technology Evaluation, the study found that over 80 percent of provinces prioritized "new quality productive forces," while 60 percent emphasized "future industries." Key focuses include smart manufacturing, digital governance, and the emerging data markets.
The national emphasis on science and technology has intensified notably in the 2025 Government Work Report. Terms such as "science," "technology," and "innovation" were mentioned 83 times, underscoring the central government's sharpened focus on tech-driven growth. For the first time, forward-looking terms like "embodied intelligence" and "recyclable materials" were also included, signaling a broader shift toward next-generation technologies.
The integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation has been mentioned in the government work reports of Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Qinghai, Fujian, Guizhou, and other regions.
In Guangdong, authorities pledged to accelerate the integration of technological innovation and industrial upgrading, fostering advanced manufacturing clusters. In Chongqing, officials stressed the convergence of industrial, innovation, talent, and capital chains as a key driver of new productive forces.
The central government's support for tech-led innovation was further evident in a recent high-level meeting with private-sector leaders ahead of the annual Two Sessions. Executives from leading AI and internet firms were among those in attendance. Strengthening multi-tiered capital markets to support innovation-oriented enterprises remains a strategic priority.
Source: VOC
