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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, January 26 (Xinhua) — At the beginning of 2026, the topic of "Artificial Intelligence Plus" once again became the focus of public opinion in China. Earlier in January, the country released two documents titled "Considerations on the Implementation of the Special Campaign for Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing" and "Action Plan for the Integration and Expanding Capabilities of the Industrial Internet and Artificial Intelligence," sending a clear signal to the outside world about China's readiness to accelerate the application of AI in the manufacturing industry and the country's industrial development.
It should be noted that the purpose of publishing these two documents is to implement the “Regulations of the State Council of the People's Republic of China on Deepening the Implementation of the “AI Plus” Campaign,” published in August 2025, which are aimed at promoting the widespread use of AI in various areas of the country's socio-economic life.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ARE CLEARLY SET
The "Considerations" state that by 2027, China plans to promote the widespread application of three to five general-purpose AI models in the manufacturing industry, develop specialized AI models for specific industries, create 100 high-quality industrial datasets, and distribute 500 typical application scenarios nationwide.
By 2027, the country also plans to create two to three globally influential ecosystem leaders and a group of small and medium-sized enterprises distinguished by production specialization, detailed management, unique products, and innovative activity, as well as a group of service providers who are well-versed in AI technologies and familiar with the development of industrial sectors.
The Action Plan stipulates that by 2028, the level of integration and expansion of the capabilities of the Industrial Internet and AI will be significantly increased, and at least 50,000 enterprises will be covered by a program to transform and modernize new types of industrial networks. A number of high-quality datasets will also be created in 20 key industrial sectors and a group of intelligent solutions providers.
Conditions are ripe for large-scale commercial use of AI
"The intelligent transformation of global industry is currently gaining momentum, and the world is experiencing fierce technological competition. China's manufacturing industry faces challenges such as rising costs and a transformative growth model. At the same time, AI must be harnessed as a new driver to consolidate the advantages of the country's industrial system," said Lu Feng, director of the Beijing Research Institute of Advanced and Prospective Technological Industries, in an interview with the Chinese newspaper Jingji Cankaobao (Economic Information Daily).
According to research conducted by IDC, the share of Chinese industrial enterprises using large-scale models and AI agents increased from 9.6 percent in 2024 to 47.5 percent in 2025. The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, supervised by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, predicts further growth in the level of AI penetration in the country's industry over the next three years.
Zhu Minghao, executive director of the China Center for High-Tech Manufacturing Research at Beijing Jiaotong University, told the Jingji Cankaobao newspaper that the AI Manufacturing program, by promoting the iterative upgrading of technologies in various fields, plays a particularly important role in the intelligent transformation of key industrial sectors such as new energy vehicles, electronic information, and marine equipment, as well as in the development of intelligent equipment, including precision testing equipment, automated assembly equipment, and intelligent welding robots.
Statistics show that China currently accounts for 60 percent of the world's AI patents. In 2024, the size of China's AI industry exceeded 900 billion yuan (approximately $128.6 billion), an increase of 24 percent year-on-year. As of the third quarter of 2025, the number of AI enterprises in China exceeded 5,300, accounting for 15 percent of the global total.
"Under the dual influence of technological innovation and commercial application, the deep integration of AI with the real economy is accelerating, with a variety of innovative intelligent products and services constantly emerging. The country already has a favorable foundation for the large-scale commercial application of artificial intelligence," said Yu Xiaohui, president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.
A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO STRENGTHENING THE POWER OF CHINA'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
Experts in an interview with the Chinese newspaper Zhongguo Jingji Shibao (China Economic Times) noted that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the "AI Manufacturing" program will continue to accelerate China's historic leap from being a major manufacturer to becoming a global leader in manufacturing. At the same time, riding the wave of global industrial intellectualization, China, relying on its colossal manufacturing system, the accumulation of massive industrial data, and systematic policy support, will accelerate its transformation from the "world's factory" into a global leader in intelligent manufacturing.
In an interview with the Zhongguo Jingji Shibao newspaper, Huang Qunhui, former director of the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that as a strategic technology driving a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, AI is being applied to manufacturing with unprecedented depth and breadth. He believes the "AI Manufacturing" program, as well as the integration and expansion of the industrial internet and AI, are inevitable requirements for advancing new-type industrialization in the country.
“Deep integration of manufacturing and AI is essential for China to become a major player in manufacturing and network technology,” said Huang Zhengxue, head of the Territorial Planning Research Department of the Research Institute of Territorial Development and Regional Economy under the National Development and Reform Commission of China. He added that the integration of the two fields is not a simple physical fusion, but the practical application of AI technologies in real production scenarios, activating a “chemical reaction” and creating a “one plus one is greater than two” effect to promote technological innovation and industrial upgrading, as well as improve the quality of manufacturing development.
According to Huang Zhengxue, the accelerated implementation of AI across various stages, including research and development, pilot experiments, production, marketing services, operations and management, is changing the production paradigm, which will accelerate the consistent release of new products, improve production efficiency, improve the entire management process, and significantly enhance the global competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry.
Huang Zhengxue believes that China's comprehensive advantages, stemming from its holistic manufacturing system and vast array of application scenarios, will also accelerate the iterative maturity of AI technologies. "Furthermore, the large volume of data accumulated by artificial intelligence will lead to a 'chemical reaction' between data, knowledge, processes, and workers in the manufacturing industry, leading to changes in production methods. This will not only strengthen China's status as a major manufacturing country but also contribute to its emergence as a global leader in manufacturing," he emphasized. -0-
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