China to drive decisive breakthroughs in addressing weak links in industrial development: official

China will accelerate breakthroughs to shore up weak links in industrial development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), while promoting the upgrading of traditional industries and the growth of emerging ones, in order to further improve the quality and level of the supply system, an official said in Beijing on Saturday.

The draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan calls for building a robust domestic market to achieve a higher-level dynamic balance between supply and demand, and to enhance the dynamism and reliability of the domestic economy.

"Regarding sectors with weaknesses, China will move faster to achieve breakthroughs. We will drive decisive breakthroughs in core technologies across entire chains in key fields such as integrated circuits, industrial machine tools, high-end equipment, basic software, advanced materials, and biomanufacturing, thereby making China's industrial chains more self-supporting and risk-resilient," said Yuan Da, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, at a press conference.

According to the official, to shore up the weak links, China will upgrade and expand its service sector through reform and opening up, strengthen production-oriented services, and increase the brand influence of "Chinese services."

For traditional sectors, China will implement tailored measures to upgrade the bases for high-quality steel, petrochemicals, and marine equipment, drive innovation in machinery manufacturing, and expand the quality supply of light industry and textile products. For emerging industries, the focus will be on fostering and expanding them.

"China will build up industrial clusters in strategic emerging fields such as new-generation information technology, new energy, robotics, and aerospace in line with local conditions, while accelerating the development of future industries including quantum science and technology, brain-computer interfaces, embodied artificial intelligence (AI), and 6G," Yuan said.

He also noted that China will establish about 100 national-level zero-carbon industrial parks and develop a zero-carbon transport corridor spanning more than 10,000 kilometers during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Efforts will also be made to promote low-carbon alternatives in transportation, power and enhance energy efficiency in emerging fields such as computing facilities and 5G base stations.

China to drive decisive breakthroughs in addressing weak links in industrial development: official

China's traditional dragon boats are driving the economic growth of Jiujiang Town of Foshan City in the southern province of Guangdong.

Known as "the town of dragon boats" and "the place with the fastest dragon boat rowing," Jiujiang is attracting a growing number of clients and tourists with its exquisite craftsmanship of boat making and thrilling racing events.

In many dragon boat factories in the town, workers are racing against time to keep up with the rising orders from home and abroad ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival which falls on June 19 this year.

"Our annual production capacity now is up to 1,000 dragon boats. Right now, we are working overtime every day to make the boats. We have orders not only from neighboring cities but also from Southeast Asia and Europe. At the same time, we have another 500 or 600 carbon fiber paddles to deliver simultaneously. Our races and training services have been scheduled into July," said Wu Pengjian, president of a local sports equipment company.

The boats manufactured in Wu's company are specifically designed for professional 22-person races, measuring 18.4 meters long and weighing 280 kilograms.

Beyond boat making, the company also provides one-stop services ranging from equipment rentals to event operations for dragon boat races.

Wu said the dragon boat events arranged throughout the year have already boosted the local culture-tourism industry.

The massive influx of visitors brought by dragon boat races has significantly promoted local catering and accommodation businesses.

"Whenever there's a dragon boat race, many people would come to have coffee and enjoy the scenic views. Then our coffee sales will easily double those in normal times," said Lai Zicong, a local cafe owner.

Nestled next to an ecological reserve home to egrets in Jiujiang, Wu Kaining runs a distinctive homestay. She said whenever a dragon boat race is held, she will receive a flood of booking calls two weeks in advance.

"Our rooms are very popular among tourists from Hong Kong and Macao. Plus I myself am a returnee to start business in Jiujiang from Macao, I know quite well that such unique waterside environment and ecological vitality here are exactly what they prefer. Many clients have already reached out to us in advance to book rooms for the Dragon Boat Festival and the summer vacation," Wu said.

Dragon boats boost Foshan town's economy