Xi urges stronger push to expand China’s advanced manufacturing sector

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for sustained efforts to expand and strengthen China’s advanced manufacturing sector, describing it as a key pillar of the country’s modernization agenda. The message, delivered in a recent instruction and conveyed at a national conference in Beijing, underscores Beijing’s continued push to deepen industrial upgrading and reinforce control over strategic supply chains.

The conference, held in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, brought together senior Chinese officials as policymakers renewed emphasis on smart, green and integrated development. The effort is aimed at making industrial chains more self-supporting and more resilient to risk, while also strengthening the foundations of the real economy.

Xi’s remarks fit into a broader economic strategy that has increasingly prioritized advanced manufacturing, high-end production and technology-driven growth. Chinese leaders have sought to shift resources toward sectors seen as essential to long-term competitiveness, even as the economy continues to face pressure to translate industrial gains into stronger household income and consumer demand.

Officials press digital, green and high-end transformation

Premier Li Qiang said Xi’s instructions provide guidance for developing advanced manufacturing and said China should treat the sector as a major strategic task. He called for next-generation intelligent manufacturing to serve as the main direction, with greater emphasis on digital and intelligent empowerment, high-end manufacturing, self-reliance, green and low-carbon development, and cross-sector integration.

Li also urged deeper integration of artificial intelligence and manufacturing, alongside stronger support for companies pursuing digital and intelligent transformation. He said China should continue building advanced manufacturing clusters according to local conditions and widen the link between advanced manufacturing and modern services.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, in concluding remarks at the conference, called for faster implementation of key industrial-chain quality initiatives, a stronger standards system and continued efforts to curb disorderly and irrational competition. His comments pointed to Beijing’s effort to create a more orderly environment for industrial growth while keeping advanced manufacturing at the center of policy planning.

The renewed emphasis comes as China seeks to bolster sectors tied to innovation, industrial security and technological self-reliance. The latest instructions suggest that advanced manufacturing will remain a central focus as policymakers work to shape the next phase of economic development.