As China’s regions roll out proposals for their next five-year plans, two trends are emerging: localities are preparing to nurture new, highly technological industries while focusing on those sectors best suited to their strengths.
Additionally, some areas pledged to bolster their supply of rare earth elements and soybeans, items which gained greater prominence amid this year’s escalatory trade war with the United States.
According to data compiled by the Post, at least 22 provincial-level regions have reviewed and approved proposals for their local five-year plans following the release of a similar document for the national plan over the past two weeks.
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All have highlighted the need to accelerate the development of technology and lay the groundwork for future innovations, goals in line with earlier directives from the central government.
Zhejiang province, home to leading artificial intelligence (AI) developer DeepSeek and robotics firm Unitree, said it will accelerate the integration of AI into industries and everyday life over the next five years, as well as advance pilot zones for humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and neuromorphic intelligence. The province also pledged to foster a globally competitive open-source ecosystem.
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Beijing, the national capital, said it would support local AI companies as they compete globally and step up breakthroughs for the high-end chips used for advanced computing – a valuable technology currently subject to trade restrictions by the United States.