China’s Leadership Pledges Greater Tech Self-Sufficiency Amid US Tensions

By Staff, Agencies

Top Chinese officials have vowed to accelerate efforts toward technological self-reliance, as Beijing faces mounting restrictions from Washington on access to advanced technologies, The Financial Times reported.

The pledge was made during the Communist Party’s elite Central Committee session held this week at Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel — the four-day “fourth plenum” — which focused on setting priorities for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, expected early next year.

A communiqué following the meeting stated that China aims to “substantially improve the level of scientific and technological self-reliance and strength.”

It added that by 2035, the country’s “economic strength, scientific and technological capability, national defense capacity, and international influence will have risen markedly,” according to Xinhua.

The renewed focus reflects Beijing’s determination to counter US-led efforts to limit China’s access to cutting-edge technologies such as semiconductors and AI.

The Communist Party’s five-year plans — a legacy of Mao-era economic planning — continue to serve as blueprints for policy direction, closely watched by global markets and foreign governments for signs of China’s long-term strategic priorities.