China will accelerate the cultivation and opening of scenarios and promote the large-scale application of new scenarios, officials said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Monday.
The General Office of the State Council issued a guideline last Friday on accelerating the development of application scenarios for new technologies and products. The document defines application scenarios as specific situations for the testing of new technologies, products and business models, which serve as a bridge connecting technologies and industries, and linking research and development with the market.
"Major sectors regarding cultivation and opening of scenarios includes new application scenarios in digital economy, artificial intelligence and other emerging sectors, transformation and upgrading scenarios for industries including manufacturing and transportation, as well as application scenarios in specialized sectors such as mining and emergency response," said Li Chunlin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) also attended the conference, noting that efforts will be stepped up to advance breakthroughs in core technologies and accelerate the cultivation of key scenarios such as "5G+" and "AI+." Private enterprises and other market players are also encouraged to participate in scenario development and deepen cooperation with state-owned enterprises in technology, industry, and talent.
During the conference, officials from Anhui and Guangdong provinces also outlined their future steps in cultivating and opening application scenarios, as well as plans to accelerate the large-scale development of emerging industries.
China to promote new scenarios for large-scale application
The escalating military conflict in the Middle East could bring severe economic consequences and job losses to the region which may plunge up to 4 million people into poverty, a United Nations spokesman has warned.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, outlined the growing concerns surrounding the deepening conflict during a regular press briefing on Tuesday.
Citing data released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dujarric said the widening war could result in a devastating economic impact, which will have a profound effect on people's livelihoods.
"I wanted to flag some interesting data just released by the United Nations Development Programme that suggests the military escalation in the Middle East may cost economies in the region from 3.7 to 6 percent of their collective gross domestic product (GDP). This represents a staggering loss of 120 to 194 billion U.S. dollars and exceeds the cumulative regional GDP growth achieved in 2025. This is coupled with an estimated rise in unemployment of up to 4 percentage points or 3.6 million lost jobs, which is more than the total jobs created in the region last year. These reversals will push up to 4 million people into poverty, according to UNDP's analysis," he said.
The conflict erupted on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israeli launched joint airstrikes on the Iranian capital Tehran and several other cities. U.S-Israeli attacks have continued since, targeting key Iranian military command centers, missile installations, energy infrastructures and nuclear facilities.
In response, Iran has launched waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and U.S. military facilities across the Middle East, including those in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The situation shows little sign of de-escalation as Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that a recent truce plan proposed by the United States contains "very excessive, unrealistic and unreasonable" demands.
Wider concerns are also mounting over the disruption to trade and transport along the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping passageway that carries about one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade.
UN spokesman warns up to 4 million could be pushed into poverty by Mideast conflict
