China's high-tech industrial development zones see significant enhancement of innovation capability: officials

National high-tech industrial development zones across China have seen significant enhancement of their innovation capability over the past year, providing powerful support for the development of new quality productive forces in the country, officials with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Friday. According to the latest official data released by the MIIT, enterprises in the national high-tech industrial development zones spent about 1.2 trillion yuan (about 175.8 billion U.S. dollars) on in-house research and development in 2025, up roughly 30 percent from the end of 2020.

In 2025, enterprises operating in the national high-tech industrial development zones held a total of 2.2 million invention patents, the data show.

In the year, the number of high-tech enterprises and listed enterprises in the national high-tech industrial development zones increased by about 60 percent and 70 percent, respectively, over the end of 2020. The number of newly registered enterprises in the zones reached 1.2 million in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent.

In 2025, there were more than 8,200 "little giant" enterprises -- firms that apply special and sophisticated techniques to produce unique and novel products -- operating in the national high-tech industrial development zones, up about 20 percent year on year, and accounting for 46 percent of China's total, the ministry said.

"We've launched an operation to develop new tracks in national high-tech industrial development zones, and to establish a dedicated database for this purpose. Focusing on 15 key emerging fields -- including quantum technology, brain-computer interfaces, and humanoid robots -- we will select a group of key parks for each track, aiming to build the national high-tech industrial development zones into cradles of new tracks," said Wu Jiaxi, deputy director of the Planning Department of the MIIT at a press conference in Beijing.

More than 26 million people are employed in these zones, about 40 percent of whom hold bachelor's degrees or higher. The full-time equivalent of research and development personnel per 10,000 employees in the zones is about 12 times the national average, said the ministry.

"The national high-tech industrial development zones across China have brought together over 1,300 universities and more than 5,000 research institutes, fostering a pool of high-caliber, application-oriented, interdisciplinary, and innovative talent that is both adapting to and driving the progress of modern industries," said Lyu Xianzhi, director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center.

China's high-tech industrial development zones see significant enhancement of innovation capability: officials

Severe weather, including hail, strong winds and heavy rain, has struck multiple areas in east China's Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, damaging homes, crops and power lines.

Parts of Yichun, Fuzhou and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi have been hit by hailstorms since Thursday as a result of the latest round of severe convective weather, with hailstones reaching up to 5 cm in diameter.

In addition to hail, strong winds and torrential rains have also disrupted residents' daily lives.

In Fangxi Town of Yifeng County in Yichun, strong gales tore off suspended ceilings in some homes, knocked down wall panels and overturned furniture. Immediately after the disaster, local authorities launched emergency response and rescue operations.

In the urban area of Wanzai County, some road sections were flooded, disrupting traffic. Local departments quickly carried out sludge removal and drainage work to ensure safe transportation.

The meteorological department in Jiangxi forecasts two additional rounds of rainfall between Sunday through April 13, and again from April 15 to 16.

With frequent rainfalls expected in April, authorities are urging continued vigilance against the impact of severe convective weather and secondary disasters triggered by heavy rain.

At around 18:00 on Friday, Guangze County in Nanping City, Fujian Province, was hit by a sudden bout of severe convective weather including strong winds, heavy rain, and hail.

The weather damaged some residential houses and crops, and knocked out several power distribution lines, disrupting electricity supply to residents.

In Shaguan Village of Zhima Town, heavy hail accompanied by fierce winds and torrential rain fell, with hailstones measuring up to 4 cm in diameter.

According to local meteorological statistics, from 18:00 to midnight Friday, six-hour cumulative rainfall reached 117.3 mm, classified as extremely heavy rain.

The severe weather caused significant losses to local crops, particularly tea leaves and fruit saplings in their growing stages. Newly planted taro seedlings were damaged while mushroom greenhouses were toppled by strong winds. Following the disaster, relevant departments immediately carried out cleanup and recovery efforts.

In addition, strong winds downed several power lines. Emergency repair crews worked overnight, and all damaged lines have been fully restored, with normal electricity supply resumed.

Rainstorm, hailstorm lash Jiangxi, Fujian, triggering emergency responses