A new five-year development plan approved by lawmakers in Beijing places innovation and advanced technology at the centre of future economic growth. The strategy is designed to strengthen technological capabilities and position China as a leading global tech power.
The plan outlines ambitions to upgrade China’s industrial sector, expand domestic research capacity, and reduce reliance on foreign technologies. Priority sectors include AI, robotics, aerospace, biotechnology, and quantum computing. Officials see these industries as key drivers of economic growth over the coming decades.
AI features prominently in the strategy, with the term appearing dozens of times in the policy document. Beijing plans to expand AI-related industries, invest in large computing clusters, and support the development of advanced systems capable of performing complex tasks beyond traditional chatbots.
China also aims to increase spending on science and technology, with government research budgets rising by around 10 percent annually. The plan sets a target of expanding research and development investment by at least 7 percent per year, reflecting Beijing’s intention to strengthen domestic innovation capacity.
Efforts to achieve greater technological self-sufficiency come amid continued tensions with the United States over trade and technology restrictions. Export controls on advanced semiconductor technologies have highlighted China’s dependence on foreign chips, prompting the government to pursue breakthroughs across the semiconductor supply chain and emerging technologies.
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Technology hubs in China are promoting the OpenClaw AI agent as part of new local industry initiatives. Officials in China say the open source tool can automate tasks such as email management and travel booking.
Cities including Shenzhen, Wuxi and Hefei are drafting policies to build an ecosystem around OpenClaw. Authorities in China are offering subsidies, computing resources and office support to encourage AI-driven one-person companies.
OpenClaw has grown rapidly since its release and has become one of the fastest-expanding projects on GitHub. Technology groups say the tool could allow individuals to operate businesses with far fewer employees.
Regulators have also warned about security and data protection risks linked to AI agents. Draft rules in China propose limits on access to sensitive data and stronger oversight of cross-border information flows.
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China’s dominance in humanoid robotics was on full display at the start of 2026, with Hangzhou-based Unitree at the forefront of innovation and 87% of all humanoid robots delivered in 2025 were made in China.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz witnessed a live display of robots dancing and doing backflips during a visit to Hangzhou, returning home to warn that Germany was ‘simply no longer productive enough.’
European robotics startups face a stark funding gap compared to their US and Chinese rivals. Rodion Shishkov, founder of the London-based construction technology company All3, described having to ‘literally fight’ for tens of millions of euros, whilst similarly positioned American counterparts could secure billions of dollars with the same effort.
Barclays’ research suggests the global humanoid robotics market, currently worth $2–3 billion, could reach $200 billion by 2035, making the stakes of falling behind significant.
Andrei Danescu, CEO of the logistics robotics startup Dexory, warned that Europe should not confuse a strong industrial tradition with genuine momentum. He called on European regulators to set clearer standards, establish liability frameworks for autonomous systems, and align public investment levels with the strategic ambitions of other global players.
One industry analyst noted that achieving hardware independence from Chinese supply chains in robotics would be ‘naive’ to expect, but argued that Europe still has significant ground to claim on the intelligence and data side of the sector.
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Chinese authorities have introduced new rules to classify online content that could affect the health and well-being of minors. Set to take effect on 1 March, the measures aim to adapt to a rapidly evolving internet landscape.
Top government bodies, including those in cyberspace, education, publishing, film, culture, tourism, public security, and radio and television, jointly released the initiative. Together, they outlined four categories of content that could negatively impact minors and specified their key characteristics.
Recent issues, such as the misuse of minors’ images, have been integrated into the regulatory framework. Authorities also established preventive guidelines to manage risks from emerging technologies, including algorithmic recommendations and generative AI.
Internet platforms and content producers are now required to take both proactive and corrective measures against harmful content. The rules emphasise that platforms must monitor, block, or remove information that could affect minors’ well-being.
The Cyberspace Administration of China pledged to continue purifying the online environment. Authorities will urge platforms to assume their primary responsibilities and strengthen governance of content affecting young users, aiming to create a safer and healthier digital space for children.
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China asserted its position as the global leader in AI and strategic technology R&D, pledging to accelerate advancement toward technological autonomy. The assertion was prominently featured in government reports presented to the National People’s Congress.
A National Development and Reform Commission report states that China leads international research, development, and implementation in AI, biomedicine, robotics, and quantum technology. The report also references advancements in domestic chip innovation as proof of progress.
Competition between China and the United States for dominance in advanced technologies has escalated. Washington imposed export controls on advanced chips, while Beijing retaliated with restrictions on rare earth resources, escalating trade tensions over strategic technologies.
The report also highlighted the country’s global leadership in open-source AI models and its expansion into emerging technology sectors, including industrial robots and drones. Authorities pledged to nurture future industries such as quantum technology, embodied AI, and 6G networks, while promoting large-scale AI deployment across key sectors.
Officials also plan to launch new data centres, coordinate nationwide computing capacity, and establish mechanisms to prevent AI security risks. The strategy places particular emphasis on embodied AI to boost productivity and performance across sectors. Although US firms command larger investment resources, Beijing is relying on supply chains, manufacturing capacity, and rapid R&D cycles to scale emerging industries despite questions about long-term growth.
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China has introduced new measures to regulate online information that could affect the physical and mental health of minors. Authorities in China said the rules will take effect on 1 March and aim to improve protection for young internet users.
The regulators identified four categories of online information that may harm minors. The authorities have also addressed emerging risks linked to algorithmic recommendations and generative AI technologies.
The framework in China requires internet platforms and content creators to prevent and respond to harmful material. Regulators said companies must strengthen the monitoring and governance of content affecting minors.
Authorities said the measures are designed to create a cleaner online environment for children. Officials also stressed greater responsibility for platforms that manage digital content used by minors.
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China has introduced its first national standards for humanoid robots and embodied AI, marking a key step in regulating the growing industry. The framework covers the full industrial lifecycle, from design to deployment, ensuring safe, ethical, and high-quality development.
The standard system, released at the Humanoid Robots and Embodied Intelligence Standardisation (HEIS) meeting in Beijing, includes six components: commonality, brain-like and intelligent computing, limbs and components, complete machines and systems, applications, and safety and ethics.
It was developed collaboratively by over 120 research institutions, enterprises, and industry users under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Brain-like computing standards manage data, model training, and deployment, while application standards oversee development, operation, and maintenance. Safety and ethics protocols cover the entire industrial lifecycle, providing assurance of compliance as the sector evolves.
Following rapid growth in 2025, with over 140 domestic manufacturers producing more than 330 models, the new standards aim to guide China’s humanoid robot industry toward sustainable and regulated development.
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China’s DeepSeek is reportedly preparing to release its latest AI model, according to a Financial Times report. The planned debut of the company’s V4 large language model is seen as another test of China’s ability to compete with leading US AI firms.
Sources cited by the report said V4 will be a multimodal model capable of generating images, video, and text. DeepSeek has reportedly worked with Huawei and Cambricon to optimise the model for Chinese AI chips.
The release is expected ahead of the annual Two Sessions parliamentary meetings in China, which begin on 4 March. Analysts say the timing could reinforce DeepSeek’s positioning as a national AI champion.
The launch would be the company’s first major model release since its R1 reasoning system debuted in January last year. DeepSeek claimed R1 matched leading US models while using less computing power, a development some compared to a ‘Sputnik moment’ for American technology firms.
Separately, AI researcher Andrew Ng said the industry remains decades away from achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). He argued that systems capable of matching human intellectual breadth remain distant, despite steady advances in model performance.
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China has made its self-developed quantum computer operating system, Origin Pilot, available for public download, marking a significant step toward expanding access to quantum computing technology. Officials expect the move to lower barriers to development and accelerate the growth of the national quantum ecosystem.
Developed by Hefei-based Origin Quantum Computing Technology, the system was first introduced in 2021 and has undergone several upgrades. The platform now supports multiple technological approaches, including superconducting, ion-trap, and neutral-atom quantum processors.
Origin Pilot manages key computing functions, including resource scheduling and coordination between software and hardware systems. Features including parallel task processing and automatic qubit calibration aim to improve the efficiency and stability of quantum operations.
Opening unified programming interfaces allows research institutions, universities and developers worldwide to connect to Chinese quantum chips and conduct programming through independent frameworks. Project leaders say users can download the system directly from the company’s official website and begin quantum development activities.
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Cyber adversaries increasingly used AI to accelerate attacks and evade detection in 2025, according to CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report. The company described the period as the year of the evasive adversary, marked by subtle and rapid intrusions.
The average time to a financially motivated online crime breakout fell to 29 minutes, with the fastest recorded at 27 seconds. CrowdStrike observed an 89 percent rise in attacks by AI-enabled threat actors compared with 2024.
Attackers also targeted AI systems themselves, exploiting GenAI tools at more than 90 organisations through malicious prompt injection. Supply chain compromises and the abuse of valid credentials enabled intrusions to blend into legitimate activity, with most detections classified as malware-free.
China linked activity rose by 38 percent across sectors, while North Korea linked incidents increased by 130 percent. CrowdStrike tracked more than 281 adversaries in total, warning that speed, credential abuse, and AI fluency now define the modern threat landscape.
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