Chinese manufacturers are constantly shifting their focus from scale and quantity to quality and innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), leading the new pattern of world industrial development with eye-catching achievements.
China has kept strengthening the research and development of key core technologies and their applications during the period, driving the development of new quality productive forces with sci-tech innovation.
One typical highlight of China's manufacturing is foldable, curved, or retractable screens used for mobile phones and tablets. Over one million of these high-tech screens are now produced in China every day. One single screen could be the subject of over 18,000 patents.
From steel softer than paper to glass harder than diamond, from a three-hour "flash delivery" to space to a ship that is expected to penetrate the earth's crust, Chinese manufacturing is constantly pushing the boundaries of imagination.
Over the past five years, the number of China's "Lighthouse Factories" has increased sixfold, ranking first in the world. In the field of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data technologies are driving traditional manufacturing towards intelligent manufacturing.
The WEF, along with consulting firm McKinsey, launched the Global Lighthouse Network in 2018 to identify manufacturers that are actively pushing toward the "fourth industrial revolution" by pursuing high efficiency, intelligence and green technologies.
Over the past five years, China's manufacturing value added has increased by eight trillion yuan (about 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars), contributing more than 30 percent to global manufacturing growth.
China's manufacturing moves towards high-quality, innovation over past 5 years
Japanese protesters gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Monday, voicing opposition to proposed revisions to three security documents.
The demonstration came the same day Japan’s government held its first expert panel meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss updates to the three documents, including the National Security Strategy.
Protesters said the government is taking steps they view as dangerous, including easing restrictions on the export of lethal weapons and seeking changes to Japan’s pacifist constitution.
"The export of lethal weapons in itself violates the constitution. From the beginning, they should never have had such weapons. So it is absolutely something we can not allow,” said one protester.
"This will evolve into a situation where wars can be constantly launched, thereby leading to the spread of war. That’s why I believe this is absolutely unacceptable. Since we cannot stop the weapons industry, they’ll try to start wars to keep it going. Profiting from weapons is absolutely not allowed and this itself also violates Article 9 of the constitution, so it must not be done," another protester warned.
Several protesters also argued that amending the constitution is unacceptable.
"I believe amending the constitution is absolutely not allowed. I think we have been able to live in peace until now because the constitution exists. With excuses like ‘the times have changed’, they’re trying to change it casually, turning our country, which has long taken an anti-war stance, toward war. Anyone can clearly see that intention. So I believe we must firmly oppose it," said a man.
"I feel an extremely strong sense of crisis. I also work in an educational institution. The children we have worked so hard to raise being sent to the battlefield - that is completely unacceptable," said a woman.
Japan's current National Security Strategy and two related documents, formulated in 2022, were designed to cover the next 10 years, but the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has decided to move up the timetable to accelerate the revision process.
Increasing defense spending is one of the key topics of the meeting.
The expert panel will meet once a month before finalizing a proposal around the fall, after which Takaichi's cabinet aims to approve the revision by year-end.
Japanese protesters rally against proposed revisions to three security documents
