China's technological breakthroughs reshape economic, social development: official

China has experienced remarkable technological and industrial innovations over the past year, with new quality productive forces transforming production and lifestyles, said Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Since last year, the term "new quality productive forces" has emerged as a key concept in China's economic discourse. Innovations such as AI large models, humanoid robots, and domestically developed original drugs are not only gaining traction within the country but are also making waves internationally.

Speaking at the press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Zheng emphasized that these technological breakthroughs are accelerating amid external pressures, showcasing China's progress in independent innovation.

"Integrated circuits have drawn significant attention, with both production and exports hitting historic highs, as an increasing number of products are now powered by 'China-made chips.' Large-scale AI models are vying for dominance and emerging as a new force, industrial robot density has risen markedly, humanoid robots are accelerating their practical application, and a wave of internationally competitive, homegrown original drugs continues to break new ground. These advancements underscore a clear truth: the greater the external pressure and containment efforts against us, the more they fuel our drive to accelerate self-reliant innovation," said Zheng.

China's industrial upgrading is also accelerating, helping to usher in economic and social development, according to the official.

"Last year, China's high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing sectors accounted for 16.3 percent and 34.6 percent of the value added in industrial enterprises above the designated size (those with main business revenue greater than 20 million yuan or more, or about 2.7 million U.S. dollars), respectively. Meanwhile, electromechanical products such as smartphones and computers made up nearly 60 percent of total exports. The new energy vehicle (NEV) industry, honed over a decade of dedicated development, has now established a fully integrated industrial chain. These developments highlight the accelerating shift of China's industrial chains toward the medium- and high-end," he said.

China's technological breakthroughs reshape economic, social development: official

Chinese and Finnish firms signed more than 10 cooperation agreements in Beijing on Monday, advancing joint work in innovation, green development and digitalization during the sixth meeting of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation.

The gathering coincided with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's visit to China and drew more than 120 business representatives from both countries.

The cooperation agreements span cutting-edge sectors such as green buildings, biomedicine and digital technology, shifting beyond product manufacturing toward joint research, development and service-oriented production.

"The main thing is the access to the enormous resources here and expertise in pharmaceutical industry and also the expertise and quality of everything. It's certainly second to none," said Juha Yrjanheikki, CEO of Aurealis Therapeutics, a cell and gene therapy platform company.

"It's a major market. So, it's absolutely essential to be in China for us," said Michal Horak, vice president for Asia Pacific at the Peikko Group, a Finnish manufacturing firm.

Many Finnish entrepreneurs said they would remain in China for one or several weeks to pursue further cooperation opportunities.

"Our business in China continues to be very relevant and very important. Now we're seeing a shift to more modernization of the existing building stock as well as the digitization and this is why we are very busy developing new solutions on these fields as well," said Jussi Herlin, vice chair of board of directors of Kone Corporation, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry.

In 2025, two-way trade exceeded 8 billion U.S. dollars, while mutual investment stock surpassed 23 billion U.S. dollars, reflecting sustained enthusiasm from enterprises on both sides to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, said a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

Orpo is on an official visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Earlier, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said that Orpo is accompanied on his visit by executives of over 20 companies, spanning key Finnish sectors such as machinery, forest industry, innovation, clean energy and food, which fully demonstrates Finland's strong commitment to deepening bilateral economic and trade relations.

Chinese, Finnish enterprises sign deals as committee for innovative business cooperation meets