Play a leading role in the new development paradigm

　　“The Party Central Committee and the State Council have always attached great importance to the development of the manufacturing sector, not only by further expanding its overall size in tandem with economic growth, but also by achieving high-quality development,” said Xiao Yaqing, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, during a press briefing on the “Ministers’ Passage.”

　　“Maintaining the share of manufacturing at a broadly stable level is a developmental process—one that requires sustained, long-term effort and unwavering commitment. Throughout this process, we must also remain committed to reform and opening-up. The globalization of international industrial chains and the international division of labor are overarching trends; therefore, we must further expand opening-up, deepen cooperation with all parties, and achieve more internationally oriented development,” said Xiao Yaqing.

　　Li Tao, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and director of the Henan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, stated in an interview with China Electronics News that the development of industry and information technology is crucial for making a strong start during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

　　“In order to accelerate the establishment of a new development pattern featuring the domestic circulation as the mainstay and the mutual promotion of domestic and international circulations, the industrial and information technology sectors are at the heart of supply–demand imbalances and serve as the primary battleground for supply-side structural reform. The industrial and information technology sectors will undoubtedly play a leading role in speeding up the construction of this new development pattern,” Li Tao pointed out.

　　Zhang Tianren, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and chairman of Tianneng Group, said in an interview with China Electronics News that the achievements made in the development of new-energy vehicles during the 13th Five-Year Plan period have demonstrated the tremendous potential of China’s new-energy vehicle market, thereby boosting confidence in the sector’s further growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

　　“In 2015, China had only 420,000 new-energy vehicles; by 2020, that number had surged to 4.92 million, representing a tenfold expansion of the market in just five years. Despite the phasing out of subsidies, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the continued decline in passenger-car sales in 2020, nationwide new-energy-vehicle sales still rose by 10.9% year on year, demonstrating a counter-trend growth trajectory and underscoring the sector’s substantial potential,” said Zhang Tianren.

　　“During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, we achieved significant results in digital foundational technologies, core digital industries, and digitally enabled applications. Core manufacturing sectors of the digital economy—such as integrated circuits, optoelectronics, and smart terminals—accelerated their development, while the industrial internet and industrial software experienced robust evolution. Building on this foundation, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, 5G technology will grow into a larger industry, digital economic infrastructure construction will reach a new high, and traditional manufacturing will be further transformed and upgraded.” Zhang Shifang, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Director of the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, expressed strong confidence in the development of the industrial and information technology sectors in the inaugural year of the 14th Five-Year Plan during an interview with China Electronics News.

　　“As of the end of 2020, China had built the world’s largest 5G network, with more than 710,000 5G base stations commissioned in total. China Mobile alone had deployed over 390,000 5G base stations, providing 5G services to all prefecture-level cities and selected key county-level cities nationwide and attracting more than 165 million 5G subscription customers,” said Zhao Dachun, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Deputy General Manager of China Mobile. He added that, as a next-generation information technology, 5G boasts high bandwidth, low latency, and massive connectivity, and its integration with workplace safety will give rise to a wide array of new industry applications, significantly elevating the level of informationization in workplace safety.

　　“During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s manufacturing sector will seize opportunities to swiftly address its weaknesses,” said Si Zefu, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman and Party Secretary of Harbin Electric Group, in response to questions from reporters at the Members’ Passage. Si Zefu noted that China’s manufacturing industry has ranked first in the world for 11 consecutive years and has earned widespread acclaim in numerous sectors. For instance, its construction machinery is highly competitive on the global stage, while its capabilities and standards in the manufacturing of hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear power equipment are all among the world’s best. Taking Harbin Electric Group as an example, the company has made significant strides in expanding its presence overseas and now competes on equal footing with major global firms.

　　Miao Wei, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Deputy Director of its Economic Committee, stated that promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing sector is a major strategic task for China’s economic development both in the present and over the coming period. During the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s well-established manufacturing system played a crucial role, once again demonstrating the vital importance of manufacturing for the development and security of a major country. It is imperative to further underscore the strategic status and role of manufacturing, ensure that all efforts to promote its high-quality development are carried out effectively and with diligence, maintain the basic stability of the manufacturing sector’s share of the economy, accelerate the building of a manufacturing powerhouse, safeguard China’s most complete industrial system, enhance the capacity for independent and controllable operation of industrial and supply chains, and protect the substantial assets accumulated over decades.

　　 New Energy Vehicles and the Industrial Internet Emerge as New Growth Drivers

　　Regarding which specific sub-sectors of industry and information technology will serve as new drivers of growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, deputies and committee members have offered their respective assessments based on their respective fields.

　　In recent years, China has vigorously developed new types of infrastructure, including information infrastructure, converged infrastructure, and innovation infrastructure. Deputies and members of the CPPCC believe that, driven by the momentum of this “new infrastructure” initiative, sectors such as electronic information, equipment manufacturing, new-energy vehicles, and the industrial internet will be among the first to break through existing constraints.

　　“Since last year, China has accelerated the deployment of new infrastructure. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the industrial and information technology sectors will continue to step up the construction of new infrastructure such as 5G networks, the industrial internet, and big-data centers. Against this backdrop, the electronic-information and equipment-manufacturing industries are poised to break new ground and get off to a strong start,” said Pan Baochun, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and chairman of Hefei Rongshida Electronic Appliances Group Co., Ltd., in an interview with China Electronics News.

　　Li Tao, on the other hand, believes that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the industrial and information technology sectors are most likely to achieve breakthroughs in advancing the deep integration of informatization and industrialization, fostering integrated development among large, medium, and small enterprises, implementing the strategy of expanding domestic demand, elevating manufacturing to the mid- and high-end of the value chain, and further opening up at a higher level.

　　Li Tao pointed out that in recent years, China has continuously intensified the development of new infrastructure—including 5G, the industrial internet, and big data centers—while simultaneously promoting the digital transformation of existing infrastructure. These efforts have helped to build a next-generation information infrastructure ecosystem, foster deep integration between next-generation information technologies and manufacturing, advance smart and green manufacturing, cultivate new forms and models of service-oriented manufacturing, and accelerate China’s move up the value chain toward higher-end segments. As a result, breakthroughs are expected to be achieved first in the areas of digitalizing industries and industrializing digital technologies.

　　In addition, as demand for information consumption and new types of consumer goods—such as smart home appliances and smart terminals—continues to expand, breakthroughs are also expected to be achieved first in developing new consumer products that cater to the upgrading of consumption patterns and in expanding investment in equipment renewal and technological upgrading in the manufacturing sector.

　　Zhang Tianren believes that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the new-energy vehicle industry is well positioned to break through and take the lead. He points out that the sector will continue to experience robust growth: on the demand side, restrictions on purchasing in megacities will further boost demand for new-energy vehicles, while the untapped potential of lower-tier markets at the county and township levels will also be gradually unlocked. “Favorable policies will not only stimulate market expansion but also underscore the importance of improving new-energy vehicle infrastructure, which is highly beneficial for the industry’s overall development.”

　　“If we do a good job, China will develop its own distinctive competitive edge within three to five years,” said Zhou Yunjie, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and president of Haier Group, in an interview with China Electronics News. He believes that China is already among the global leaders in the consumer internet, particularly in mobile payments. In the industrial internet sector, China continues to enjoy such advantages, and the recently issued “Action Plan for Innovative Development of the Industrial Internet (2021–2023)” by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is highly aligned with the current state of China’s industrial internet development.

　　Li Jinbo, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and director of the Innovation Center at Midea Group, stated in an interview with China Electronics News that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the industrial internet will play a crucial role in underpinning the development of a manufacturing powerhouse and a cyber power, elevating the modernization of industrial chains, promoting high-quality economic development, and fostering a new development paradigm. In particular, application industries built on industrial-internet platforms hold enormous potential for empowering smart cities, intelligent transportation, and government administration; leveraging the advantages of “internal circulation,” the market size is expected to reach trillions of yuan.

　　 Technological Innovation Fuels New Momentum for Industrial Development

　　How should enterprises and other social actors contribute to a strong start during the 14th Five-Year Plan period? This question has sparked vigorous debate across all sectors of society. Participants from various walks of life have unanimously recognized the crucial role of scientific and technological innovation in ensuring a solid beginning for the 14th Five-Year Plan.

　　“This year marks the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and achieving high-quality development is inseparable from the efficiency gains brought about by scientific and technological innovation,” said Liu Wei, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman and CEO of Jadu Technology. Looking ahead to the 14th Five-Year Plan, sectors such as autonomous driving and smart cities are expected to accelerate their development, which in turn calls for greater efforts by science and technology professionals in fundamental research, foundational technologies, and core-level innovation.

　　“Our country urgently needs to improve the system for independent innovation in science and technology and effectively enhance our capacity for original innovation. Scientific and technological professionals must place greater emphasis on independent innovation and achieve more breakthroughs that move from ‘zero’ to ‘one,’” said Hao Yue, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, during his address at the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC via video conference. He recommended that, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, comprehensive efforts should be made to strengthen the deployment of scientific and technological innovation in core and critical areas that are vital to the nation’s long-term competitiveness. With a view to long-term goals, we should establish a systematic strategic layout and build up forward-looking reserves of key technologies.

　　Zhou Hongyi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of 360 Group, stated that the 14th Five-Year Plan period presents significant opportunities for digital transformation. Enterprises must demonstrate proactive innovation, accelerate the development of next-generation information technologies, and continuously strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity foundation. “Accelerating digital development is a key focus and an effective pathway for China to build a modernized economic system and establish a new development paradigm.”

　　Pan Baochun believes that to maintain robust innovation capabilities, enterprises must continuously strengthen their internal strengths, which can be summarized in two key areas. First, they must continually advance the intelligent transformation of traditional industries; second, they must promote the deep integration and development of electronic information technology with manufacturing, thereby advancing smart manufacturing and green manufacturing. “On the one hand, we need to vigorously develop and expand the electronic information industry chain, master core technologies, reinforce critical links, and build a robust industrial ecosystem to foster high-level integration between the electronic information industry and various sectors. On the other hand, we must comprehensively enhance enterprise informatization, implement initiatives to build smart factories, digital workshops, and industrial data ecosystems, and broaden the scope of industrial applications, thus driving high-quality development of the electronic information industry,” he told reporters.

　　Li Dongsheng, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and founder of TCL, stated: “In the field of new display technologies, we still have much work to do to transform China from a ‘major display player’ into a ‘leading display powerhouse.’ A ‘leading display powerhouse’ is primarily defined by technological advancement and the development of new products.” In an interview, Li acknowledged that the development of new display technologies and industries, as well as market expansion, will increasingly be driven by technological innovation. In addition, it is essential to strengthen the supporting capabilities of the industrial chain, particularly in key core materials and critical equipment.

　　“When I opened the draft Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan, I was thrilled to see that four consecutive sections are devoted to technology enterprises,” said Lei Jun, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Chairman and CEO of Xiaomi Group. He noted that this year marks the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and the Government Work Report places particular emphasis on continuing to ramp up support for scientific and technological research and development, with a strong focus on fundamental R&D. This has filled him with confidence that China will continue to achieve major breakthroughs in core technologies. “As a representative of the technology sector, I am convinced that, under a series of robust policy guidelines and incentives, China’s science and innovation industry will demonstrate even greater innovative vitality and make a larger contribution to the ‘high-quality development’ and ‘sustainable, healthy development’ repeatedly highlighted in the report.”

　　In addition, Yang Yuanqing, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group, emphasized that building a strong talent pool is crucial for corporate innovation. “Accelerating the cultivation of industry-specific talent and strengthening the ranks of engineering and technical professionals will drive robust development of the industrial and information technology sectors during the 14th Five-Year Plan period,” Yang said. “We hope that a series of policy measures will enhance the quality of vocational education, nurture more ‘purple-collar’ talent, enable them to fully leverage their capabilities in the new business forms and models spurred by the digital and intelligent transformation, and thereby support China’s move toward the high-end of global value chains under the banner of ‘Made in China 2025.’”

　　“When it comes to innovation, the most crucial issue is talent.” Dong Mingzhu, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and Chairwoman and President of Gree Electric Appliances, also emphasized the importance of talent development for corporate innovation. She believes that companies should steadfastly pursue an in-house talent-development strategy: “This process requires significant investment—both financial and time-wise. No great undertaking can be accomplished overnight; it demands a period of steady accumulation and maturation.” Dong Mingzhu stated that by providing young people with platforms for creativity and innovation, and by giving them the time to hone their skills and build expertise, a virtuous cycle of talent cultivation and technological innovation can ultimately be established.