Key steps to the future

2010: The State Council, China’s Cabinet, issues a decision on accelerating the fostering and development of strategic emerging industries. It also proposes plans to nurture and promote the development of such industries.

2012: The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issue opinions on deepening the reform of science and technology, and speeding up the building of a national innovation system.

January 2015: The State Council issues an opinion on promoting cloudcomputing innovation and the information technology industry.

May 2015: The State Council issues a guideline on pressing ahead with international cooperation on both production capacity and equipment manufacturing.

September 2015: The State Council publishes a notice on the implementation of an action plan to promote big data development.

2017: The State Council issues a guideline on developing artificial intelligence, setting the goal of becoming a global innovation center in the field by 2030.

2018: President Xi Jinping calls for efforts to develop China into a world leader in science and technology. As China strives for prosperity and rejuvenation, it needs to devote great energy to promoting science and technology, Xi says at the opening of the 19th meeting of the Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the 14th meeting of the Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

2019: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology rolls out commercial 5G licenses, a crucial step in the technology’s commercial use.

August 2020: The State Council issues a circular to further optimize the development of the integrated circuit and software industries.

October 2020: The fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issues a communique saying the country will focus on building a modern industrial system and boosting its industrial upgrading under the dual circulation strategy over the next five years.