China has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to accelerate its pursuit of scientific and technological self-reliance throughout 2026, according to a draft government work report presented to the National People’s Congress on Thursday. The comprehensive strategy outlines a multi-faceted approach to establishing China as a global innovation leader through systemic reforms and targeted investments.
The blueprint emphasizes enhancing fundamental innovation capabilities to create a robust scientific foundation supporting the nation’s high-quality development objectives. Central to this initiative is the strategic mobilization of national resources to achieve critical breakthroughs in core technologies across pivotal sectors. The government plans to implement major science and technology megaprojects while strengthening planning mechanisms for strategic and frontier domains to stimulate original advancements.
A significant policy shift involves increasing the proportion of research and development expenditure allocated to basic research, ensuring sustained long-term support for foundational scientific inquiry. The strategy further calls for structural reforms within research institutions and improved coordination between national laboratories and major scientific programs to bolster strategic scientific capabilities.
The integration of technological innovation with industrial application represents another cornerstone of the plan. Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be developed into international hubs for scientific innovation, with enterprises playing a leading role in innovation consortia and national-level projects.
The government will establish pilot-scale testing platforms, enhance intellectual property protection in emerging fields, accelerate technology commercialization, and improve financial services tailored for innovation-driven enterprises. Simultaneously, the plan emphasizes the synergistic development of education, science, and talent cultivation through improved coordination mechanisms.
Higher education reforms will advance through categorized approaches with adjustments to academic disciplines aligned with economic and social needs. New initiatives will establish world-class universities and interdisciplinary research centers while cultivating top-tier domestic innovators. The talent development strategy includes fostering professionals with strategic expertise, attracting elite scientists and promising young scholars, and training exceptional engineers and highly skilled technical workers.
The comprehensive approach extends to developing high-standard talent hubs, deepening institutional reforms for talent development, establishing improved assessment systems, and facilitating smoother talent mobility across sectors and regions.