China to step up efforts to cultivate new growth drivers through innovation: experts

China will step up its efforts to cultivate new drivers of growth in accordance with the requirements and arrangements from the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday in which the Chinese leadership decided priorities for the economic work in 2026, according to experts.

The meeting set out eight major tasks, ranging from boosting consumption and fostering innovation to advancing green transformation and improving people's livelihood.

Among other major takeaways, the meeting stressed the need to adhere to an innovation-driven approach and accelerate the cultivation and growth of new economic drivers.

"As we have the ability to innovate, we also have the ability to manufacture. Therefore, if we combine the two, we can comprehensively leverage our capabilities to build a new industrial system and a new industrial chain," said Zhu Min, a member of the Senior Expert Advisory Committee of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

In 2025, China rose to the 10th position in the global innovation ranking, becoming one of the economies with the fastest increase in innovation capacity in over a decade.

The conference proposed to develop international technological innovation centers in Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region), Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

To provide impetus and guarantee for continuous innovation, the conference said that efforts will be made to further strengthen the role of enterprises as the main drivers of innovation and improve the intellectual property protection system in emerging fields.

"It highlights the construction of a regional innovation system, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. These are the three power zones or sources of high-quality growth, which can drive innovation across the entire country. It also mentions the protection of intellectual property rights related to technology, which targets solving key and unresolved problems while developing new productive forces and providing new impetus," said Huang Huiqun, a researcher at the Institute of Economics with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

As technology continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key sector for fostering new drivers of growth. Efforts should be made to advance the AI Plus Initiative, improve AI governance and foster innovation in science and technology finance, according to the conference.

"AI is a new track for economic and technological development. It serves as a very important strategic opportunity for China. This year's economic work conference specifically mentioned AI Plus and improving the governance of AI, providing direction on how to ensure that technology is used for good and better serves people's livelihoods as well as the development of the economy and society," said Chen Binkai, vice president of Central University of Finance and Economics.

China to step up efforts to cultivate new growth drivers through innovation: experts

China to step up efforts to cultivate new growth drivers through innovation: experts

More than 10,000 Chinese travelers have safely and orderly returned from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Guo said the Chinese government has endeavored to assist nationals stranded in the Middle East to get away from the conflict and reminded Chinese people to avoid travel to affected areas.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked with the Civil Aviation Administration of China for days to arrange domestic airlines to increase capacity by a big margin and urgently dispatch flights to the Middle East to take Chinese travelers stranded there back home. The related embassies and consulates have pushed the local authorities to facilitate direct flights from China, promptly issuing safety alerts and flight schedules, and providing more care and guidance to stranded travelers. Thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, more than 10,000 Chinese travelers have safely and orderly returned from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia and other countries," Guo said.

"As the United States and Israel's military actions on Iran are lingering on, some airports in the Middle East have not yet fully resumed normal operations. The Foreign Ministry once again reminds Chinese nationals not to travel to countries and regions around Iran that have been affected by the military conflict for the time being. The Chinese embassies and consulates in relevant countries will do their best to provide necessary assistance to Chinese nationals in need there," he said.

Over 10,000 Chinese travelers safely return from Middle East: spokesman