China will accelerate its development of humanoid robots, the metaverse, quantum technology and a few other cutting-edge sectors in coming years to sharpen its industrial competitive edge, the country’s industrial minister said yesterday.
At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office, Jin Zhuanglong, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, told the audience that the country will allocate its resources in a number of key areas in a “forward-looking” manner and research action plans with regard to future industrial development.
“Manufacturing is the cornerstone of real economy as well as a nation’s economic backbone,” said Jin. “It is also a pivotal part of building a modern industrial system.”
He stressed that efforts should be taken to stabilize the percentage of manufacturing in China’s overall economy and further strengthen its division of industrial sectors, which is already among the world’s most complete.
Jin outlined four areas where targeted measures are called for, including upgrading industrial equipment and making them more eco-friendly, cementing China’s advantages in certain areas, incubating emerging growth drivers, and tapping “future-oriented” industries.
Apart from his emphasis on making progress in 5G, AI, bio-manufacturing, industrial IoT, smart connected car, green energy and low carbon, he made a special mention of the imperative to implement the “Robot plus” action plan.
The plan was released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on January 18 together with 16 other ministry- and commission-level departments.
It is intended to encourage the adoption of robotics in various scenarios and promoting the development of the industry.
Jin added that to build a modern industrial system requires not just stimulating domestic economic activities, but also deepening international collaborations.
For this reason, the bureaucracy needs to take concrete measures to create a pro-business climate for manufacturing businesses from home and abroad, Jin noted.
