China’s Xi Jinping pushes ‘disruptive innovation’ at first Politburo study session of the year

He also stressed the importance of improving the “resilience and security” of supply chains and ensuring that the industrial system is “autonomous and controllable, safe and reliable”.

‘Chinese-style modernisation’: tech innovation in focus as Xi visits Shanghai

China has repeatedly emphasised tech self-reliance as one of its top policy priorities as the country and its hi-tech ambitions face containment by the US and its allies. Xi has often reiterated the call for technological innovation at high-level meetings.

At the central economic work conference held in December, an annual tone-setting economic meeting also presided over by Xi, the country’s leaders called for industrial innovation using “disruptive and cutting-edge technologies” to give rise to “new industries, new modes and new dynamics”, according to a statement released after the conference.

The Politburo holds regular group study sessions, which usually feature a scholar who leads discussion of a topic. But its first session of the new year is typically an internal discussion among the members.

At last year’s first Politburo study session, Xi called for “accelerating the establishment of a new pattern of development”, saying this could consolidate the country’s economic foundation and “strengthen the security and stability of development”.

“Only by doing so will China be able to better survive, compete, develop and sustain its progress amid all sorts of predictable and unpredictable storms and high winds,” he said.

He also told the study session that the country must accelerate efforts to achieve self-reliance in science and technology “to prevent being strangled by foreign countries”.

Such stern wording was not seen in the statement following Wednesday’s event.

Xi highlights importance of innovation in ‘Chinese-style modernisation’

On Wednesday, Xi emphasised “new productive forces”, which he said were necessary for “promoting high-quality development”.

“It’s necessary to continue to leverage innovation to speed up the development of new productive forces,” he said.

In September, Xi stressed the need for “new productive forces” when chairing a meeting in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, during an inspection tour.

He called for “actively fostering new energy, new materials, advanced manufacturing, electronic information and other strategic emerging industries, and actively cultivating future industries”.

He also called for greater efforts to revitalise China’s northeastern provinces – the country’s former industrial heartland and bread basket – and urged them to “firmly grasp domestic innovation”.