Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a major strengthening of basic research and China’s original innovation capacity, according to state media reports, as global competition accelerates over advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. The remarks underscore Beijing’s push to secure long-term technological leadership in areas seen as critical to economic and strategic power.
Xi said that global technological competition is increasingly focused on foundational and frontier fields, where original and disruptive innovations are becoming more prominent, the state news agency Xinhua reported. His comments reflect growing pressure on major economies to secure breakthroughs in core scientific research rather than relying on incremental improvements or applied technologies.
He urged China to improve top-level planning for basic research, expand the training and development of scientific talent, and increase the share of funding allocated to foundational science. Xi also called for deeper international cooperation in areas including climate change, energy, environmental protection, and health, signaling a dual emphasis on strengthening domestic capabilities while maintaining global engagement in key scientific challenges.
The push comes as countries race to dominate emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, where advances are increasingly driven by breakthroughs in fundamental research. China has been steadily increasing investment in science and technology in recent years, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign innovation while building a stronger domestic research ecosystem capable of producing globally competitive discoveries.
