China takes solid steps to promote higher-quality economic development

BEIJING, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 5 took part in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu province at the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing.

During the deliberation, he stressed that developing new quality productive forces is crucial to driving high-quality development and enhancing economic competitiveness.

He laid out clear requirements on developing new quality productive forces, enhancing economic resilience, and advancing common prosperity for all to fulfill the development goals of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

He urged major provincial economies such as Jiangsu to redouble efforts to gain experience in analyzing new situations and solving new problems. His remarks carry important guiding significance for advancing Chinese modernization.

Why is developing new quality productive forces so important?

Over the past year, the world has witnessed humanoid robots progress from tentative first steps to performing impressive "kung fu-like" movements. China now ranks among the global leaders in robotics research and application. At the same time, homegrown AI large models driving the global open-source ecosystem, while domestically produced new energy vehicles are becoming a common sight in everyday households. Technological innovation is reshaping industries across the board, generating new momentum for growth and transform the way people work and live.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China's economy has navigated one challenge after another, maintaining steady and positive momentum despite a complex domestic and international environment.

A key factor behind this resilience has been the country's firm commitment to high-quality development and its efforts to foster new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions.

Data released during this year's "two sessions" are encouraging. China's value-added manufacturing output has ranked first in the world for 16 consecutive years. In 2025, the value-added output in high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing grew by 9.4 percent and 9.2 percent respectively. China has also built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system.

In recent years, the Chinese economy has weathered multiple headwinds while maintaining strong resilience and vitality. A key reason lies in its comprehensive industrial system. Developing new quality productive forces has become essential for building a modern industrial structure, sustaining high-quality development, and strengthening the economy's ability to withstand external shocks.

Across the country, regional economies are exploring their own pathways for industrial upgrading. Jiangsu has delivered a strong performance by advancing intelligent upgrading, digital transformation, and network connectivity of its manufacturing sector, building an internationally competitive advanced manufacturing base.

Guangdong has accelerated the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an international center for scientific and technological innovation, with the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster now ranking first globally.

Anhui in east China has surged to the top nationally in both automobile and new-energy vehicle production, with vehicle exports exceeding one million units -- a result of the province leveraging its unique position at the intersection of multiple national strategies.

Today, China has firmly anchored the strategic task of developing new quality productive forces. Major provincial economies are taking on greater responsibilities, while regions across the country are leveraging their comparative advantages and pursuing their own strengths -- climbing to higher levels and moving toward new frontiers of development.

SOURCE People's Daily