China's economic planner vows to accelerate AI commercialization

China's top economic planner on Friday vowed to further implement the newly approved "AI Plus" initiative, aiming to drive large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across industries.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced the move at a press conference in Beijing a day after a State Council executive meeting approved the policy.

The NDRC said that AI has now demonstrated capabilities to solve complex real-world problems, playing an increasingly prominent role in reducing industrial costs, improving efficiency, and boosting productivity. With strong demand across society, AI has entered a critical window for widespread application.

The commission pledged to leverage China's advantages -- including a complete industrial system, massive market scale, and diverse application scenarios -- to promote AI adoption across all economic and social sectors. This is expected to create a virtuous cycle where innovation drives application, and application fuels further innovation.

"We will focus on optimizing the AI innovation ecosystem, strengthen policy support, and enhance foundational elements such as computing power, algorithms, data, open-source platforms, talents cultivation, and security, so as to accelerate the formation of a dynamic, agile and multi-party collaborative governance pattern for artificial intelligence and better facilitate technological implementation and industrial growth," said Jiang Yi, a spokesman for the NDRC.

China's economic planner vows to accelerate AI commercialization

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"