It's time for technological and industrial innovation to increase their level of integration, according to an official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), who made the remark at the China Development Forum 2025 recently held in Beijing.

Li Lecheng, secretary of the Party Group of the MIIT, emphasized the importance of a seamless connection between the innovation and industrial chains. He outlined a framework designed to transform technology into new quality productive forces.

Li said China has a robust industrial foundation, abundant application scenarios, a vast market, and a large talent pool. These factors present significant opportunities for collaborative international industrial and technological innovation.

Data shows that there are over 2,400 foreign companies that have invested in China's telecommunications sector, and more than 60 percent of the technical standardization committees have a foreign enterprise sub-committee. This underlines the critical role foreign companies play in China's industrial technological innovation system and their importance in facilitating international and domestic economic circulation.

To propel the integration of technological and industrial innovation, MIIT plans to implement four key initiatives:

•Boosting high-quality technology supply: MIIT will further implement the development action plan for key industrial chains in manufacturing, optimize the innovation platform network, promote the high-quality development of national high-tech zones, and support foreign-funded enterprises in setting up R&D centers in China.

•Empowering enterprises as innovation leaders: With over 570 Chinese industrial firms ranked among the world's top 2,500 R&D spenders, MIIT intends to nurture innovative businesses, particularly specialized small and medium enterprises, support the growth of unicorns and gazelle companies, and facilitate foreign companies in making innovations and starting businesses in China.

•Promoting the application of technological achievements: To translate technological advancements into tangible productivity, MIIT will focus on strengthening China's technology service industry. This includes establishing national platforms for technology transactions, and encouraging foreign enterprises to engage in the commercialization of innovation results.

•Creating a collaborative innovation ecosystem: Li called for efficient circulation of innovative resources and elements, promoting an environment of openness regarding rules and regulations. MIIT plans to foster collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutions to establish diverse innovation ecosystems that contribute to global integrative growth.

"We will uphold the principles of openness, connectivity, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation," Li said, emphasizing the need for collaboration with global partners to enhance new quality productive forces, contributing to stable global economic growth and improving human welfare.