China's innovation drive fosters new economic momentum

China's ongoing national "two sessions" have sent a clear signal that the world's second-largest economy is dedicated to progress through sci-tech innovation.

According to the 2025 government work report, which was submitted Wednesday to the annual meeting of the national legislature for deliberation, China will remain committed to innovation-driven development, with a focus on talent cultivation, along with integrated progress in education and sci-tech innovation.

In its pursuit of high-quality development, China regards science and technology as the primary productive force, and relies on innovation to open up new areas in development and cultivate fresh driving forces.

The country's emphasis on the development of new quality productive forces provides a vivid example. With sci-tech innovation playing a leading role, these new forces are breaking away from traditional growth models and old paths. Instead, they are pursuing productivity development that features high-tech, high efficiency and high quality.

In recent years, innovation-driven development has yielded significant outcomes. Emerging industries such as integrated circuits and artificial intelligence are experiencing rapid growth, while the BeiDou navigation system is providing precision services globally. Domestically-developed large passenger aircraft have entered commercial operation, and new energy vehicles are injecting fresh momentum into the automobile industry while contributing to China's green transition. Commercial spaceflight and new types of energy storage are also reporting rapid growth.

Additionally, this year's government work report states that China will promote 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 technology.

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. Also, the added value of core industries of the digital economy rose to about 10 percent of national GDP last year.

China has markedly increased its fundamental research input -- which is evident from the country's policy support initiatives, substantial investments in research and development, and growing sci-tech talent pool. Its research and development expenditure increased by 8.3 percent and accounted for 2.68 percent of GDP last year.

China is actively promoting integrated advancements in technological and industrial innovation to build up the momentum of new growth drivers while upgrading and reviving traditional ones.

Notably, innovation has also driven the upgrading of traditional industries, with factories getting smarter via 5G and AI, and the logistics industry becoming more efficient thanks to BeiDou navigation technology. It has also created new consumption demands, such as AI-powered smart terminals and elderly care robots. Drone technology, meanwhile, has spurred the low-altitude economy, which is becoming a new growth point.

Tech giants such as Huawei and BYD have emerged as market leaders in their respective fields, while startups like DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics have demonstrated the country's potential in the fields of AI large models and humanoid robotics.

Of course, China's innovation push is not just for its own sake. Its technological progress has significantly reduced the cost of clean energy, making it more accessible for countries in need of low-carbon transformation. China has pledged to expand opening up and cooperation in the sci-tech sector, which serves the well-being of the whole of humanity.

As China improves its self-reliance and ability in science and technology, its new quality productive forces will be expanded and new growth drivers cultivated, helping ensure the long-term growth and high-quality development of its economy.