BEIJING — China has outlined a broad science and technology agenda for the 2026-2030 period, placing basic research, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and strategic technologies at the center of its next five-year development cycle. Officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology said the country intends to strengthen the full innovation chain, from fundamental research to industrial application.
The announcement comes as China seeks to deepen its position in advanced technology while also connecting research more closely with economic development. The government says the goal is not only to produce scientific papers and patents, but also to turn research results into products, services and industrial capabilities.
R&D spending reaches a major scale
China’s Ministry of Science and Technology said total research and development spending exceeded 3.92 trillion yuan in 2025, equivalent to about 582 billion U.S. dollars and 2.8 percent of gross domestic product. Officials said this was above the average R&D intensity among OECD members for the first time.
The figure highlights the scale of China’s effort to increase scientific and technological capacity. Research spending is being distributed across universities, government laboratories, companies and regional innovation centers, with growing emphasis on commercial applications.
Artificial intelligence moves deeper into research
Artificial intelligence is one of the major themes in the new agenda. Officials said AI should be used more extensively in scientific research, potentially changing how experiments are designed, data are analyzed and discoveries are made.
China is also encouraging AI development as part of broader industrial upgrading. The policy direction connects AI with manufacturing, scientific research, agriculture, medical technology and other areas. The approach reflects a growing global trend in which governments see AI not simply as a software industry but as a general-purpose technology.
Semiconductors and advanced equipment remain strategic
The Ministry of Science and Technology identified integrated circuits, machine tools and high-end instruments among fields requiring progress across the entire innovation chain. The objective is to strengthen research, engineering, production and commercialization rather than concentrating on only one stage.
Other frontier areas named by officials include quantum technology, biotechnology and brain-computer interfaces. These technologies have different development timelines, but policymakers see them as important parts of future scientific and industrial capacity.
Basic research gets renewed attention
The plan also highlights areas of fundamental research such as mathematical theory and applications, control of states of matter, synthetic biology, the materials genome, controlled nuclear fusion and intelligent scientist systems.
Basic research often produces results over longer periods than commercial product development. By identifying it as a priority, Chinese policymakers are signaling an intention to build a deeper scientific base that can support future breakthroughs.
Turning research into products
One of the central themes of the new approach is commercialization. Officials said China wants to move away from a model in which research results are produced first and questions about practical use are considered later. Instead, research planning should increasingly take account of market and industrial demand.
Industry-university-research cooperation is therefore expected to become more important. Enterprise-led projects, shared data, talent, funding and testing facilities are being emphasized as ways to shorten the time between laboratory results and commercial applications.
Regional innovation centers
China plans to continue developing major innovation centers in Beijing and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Officials said these three regions together account for a large share of national R&D spending and international patent applications.
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has particularly high R&D intensity, while the Yangtze River Delta has strong activity in integrated circuits and quantum technology. The Greater Bay Area combines Guangdong’s industrial base with research and education resources in Hong Kong and Macao.
Investment and venture capital
Officials also pointed to the role of venture capital in supporting early-stage and hard-technology companies. New funds raised in the equity investment market exceeded 1 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, according to figures cited by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
For startups, financing is important because technologies such as advanced materials, robotics, biotechnology and semiconductor equipment often require long development cycles before generating significant revenue.
Science and technology with social applications
The agenda also includes technologies intended to address social and environmental challenges. These include pollution control, resource recycling, agricultural biological breeding, innovative medicines, high-end medical equipment and technologies related to population aging.
This means the policy is broader than a competition over computing power or chips. It also includes technologies that can affect healthcare, food production, environmental quality and public services.
What to watch through 2030
The major question will be how effectively China converts its large research base into globally competitive technologies and commercially successful products. Investment alone does not guarantee breakthroughs, and results can vary substantially across sectors.
For international businesses and researchers, the policy is significant because China remains a major market, manufacturing base and research ecosystem. Its decisions on AI, batteries, biotechnology, quantum technology and advanced manufacturing can influence global supply chains and research partnerships.
Readers can follow more developments in our Technology section and International News section.
Source: China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the China government information portal.
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