Innovation will remain a key driver for China's development in 2026 as leaders have emphasized innovation-driven growth at the annual Central Economic Work Conference recently held in Beijing.
Among the priorities for China's economic work in 2026, as outlined by the country's top leaders at the meeting, scientific and technological innovation ranks prominently.
The conference stressed the need to strengthen innovation-driven development to accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers, with China set to launch a new round of high-quality development initiatives for key industrial chains.
"The development logic of China's industries emphasizes two key principles: building complete systems and prioritizing focal points. To build a high-quality industrial chain system, we must first ensure completeness across the board, while achieving breakthroughs in critical links and core areas to solve 'chokehold' bottlenecks. This new round of high-quality development initiatives for key industrial chains is crucial for building a modern industrial system in the next stage," said Lin Chen, professor of economics, Renmin University of China.
China aims to establish international innovation hubs in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Policies will focus on boosting enterprise-led innovation, strengthening intellectual property protection in emerging industries, expanding service-sector capabilities, and advancing AI development through improved governance and tech-finance integration.
"Artificial intelligence is key to fostering new growth drivers. Built on the foundation of AI technology, new products emerge and novel application scenarios are created. The diffusion of AI technology holds great significance for China's industrial development, economic growth, and the establishment of a modern industrial system," Lin said.
Innovation to remain key driver for China's development in 2026: expert
China unveiled a large wind-assisted propulsion system for ships in the coastal city of Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Friday, marking a major leap forward for the country in the field of high-end vessel marine environmental protection equipment.
The wind-assisted propulsion system - rotating sail system (WAPS-RSS), is developed by Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).
The system's rotor has diameter of 5 meters, is 35 meters high, and weighs 150 tons.
Experts say that the system can efficiently capture wind energy while the ship is sailing, providing additional thrust for the vessel.
On average, it can save fuel consumption by 5 to 25 percent for large ocean-going vessels, and lower carbon emissions accordingly.
It relies on the Magnus effect, which is much like a loop in table tennis, featuring a rapidly spinning sphere that causes the surrounding air to rotate. Pressure decreases on the side with faster airflow and increases on the side with slower airflow, creating a lateral pressure difference that generates lateral thrust.
"Standing on the deck, the powerful thrust generated by its rotation assists the ship's sailing. Our system - the world's largest rotary sail - reaches a maximum rotational speed of 180 revolutions per minute and can generate a maximum of 355 kilonewtons of thrust. Additionally, the system's intelligent control integrates multiple sensors to detect real-time wind and ship conditions. Through smart algorithms, it automatically adjusts to maintain optimal performance at all times, maximizing the utilization of wind energy," said Guo Yu, vice president of SunRui Marine Environment Engineering Company Limited under Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute.
Not only does the system's performance meet international advanced standards, but the project team has also overcome a series of engineering challenges, including the fabrication of giant composite structures, complex system integration, and intelligent coordinated control.
Compared with mainstream international technological approaches, it offers greater production efficiency and cost advantages.
Currently, the system has secured its first batch of orders and will complete actual vessel applications as scheduled.
China unveils large wind-assisted propulsion system for ships
