China has 504 excellence-level smart factories: official

China has cumulatively built 504 excellence-level smart factories and is accelerating the technological transformation of its traditional industries, said Yao Jun, director of the Planning Department of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

MIIT data showed that since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the application rate of artificial intelligence technologies among manufacturing enterprises above designated size has surpassed 30 percent.

The output value of national green factories has risen from 9 percent to 22 percent of the total output value of manufacturing enterprises above designated size.

The comprehensive energy consumption per unit of product such as steel and cement clinker has generally reached advanced world levels.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), MIIT will organize and implement a traditional industries renewal action to accelerate the development of traditional industries in both quality and efficiency, according to Yao.

"We will focus on technological transformation and deepen pilot city programs for new-type technological transformation in manufacturing. We will promote the intelligent, green and integrated development of traditional industries, and advance the high-quality development of the sector. We will also enhance standards by launching a campaign to guide optimization and upgrading of traditional industries through standards improvement and using high-quality standards to support high-quality development across the industry," he said.

Yao said quality upgrading is also high on the ministry's agenda. MIIT will thoroughly implement the manufacturing excellence quality improvement project, promote advanced quality management systems, and strengthen quality infrastructure capabilities such as metrology, inspection and testing, and quality certification.

China has already built a multi-tiered smart factory ecosystem, which comprised over 35,000 basic-level, more than 8,200 advanced-level, over 500 excellence-level and 15 flagship smart factories nationwide as of 2025.

China has 504 excellence-level smart factories: official

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities have been doing "everything possible" to disrupt normal educational and youth exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, seeking to fuel confrontation, said a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday.

Taiwan's education department recently said schools must file information on a new registration platform for exchange trips to the mainland. Inaccurate filings could result in cuts of future exchange subsidies or equipment, raising concerns among schools on the island.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Zhang Han, the spokeswoman, noted that the DPP's actions fully expose their intent to obstruct personnel exchanges and cooperation, and fan the flames of confrontation and antagonism.

"Facts have repeatedly proven that the DPP authorities are the biggest obstacle to cross-Strait exchanges and interactions, and the greatest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Peace, development, exchanges and cooperation are the mainstream aspirations of the Taiwan society. The desire of compatriots on both sides of the Strait to develop closer bonds, and the trend of cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, cannot be stopped. Any act of turning back the wheel of history or defying the will of the people will ultimately be rejected by public opinion," Zhang said.

Taiwan Affairs Office accuses DPP authorities of undermining cross-Strait exchanges