China's technology ambitions for the next five years (2026-30) go beyond
artificial intelligence (AI), with Beijing putting semiconductors, quantum technology, biotechnology, brain-computer interfaces and nuclear fusion alongside AI in its latest technology plans. The focus is on building capabilities across several areas that could shape the next phase of computing, industry and scientific research.
According to the South China Morning Post, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the country's top state research institution, has released its 15th Five-Year Plan, which covers basic research, strategic high technologies and sustainable development, while also calling for greater use of AI in scientific research. It follows China's broader 2026-30 technology strategy, which targets at least 7 per cent annual growth in R&D spending. The significance of the blueprint lies in how it brings different technology areas into one longer-term development strategy.
AI is one part of a much bigger technology push
AI remains central to the plan. China's government has said it will expand its "AI Plus" programme, encourage the development of multimodal AI, AI agents, embodied AI and swarm intelligence, and explore development paths towards artificial general intelligence. It also wants AI to be used more widely across industries and scientific research.
But AI sits alongside several other technologies. The 15th Five-Year Plan identifies quantum technology, biomanufacturing, brain-computer interfaces, 6G and nuclear fusion as future industries. It also identifies integrated circuits, aerospace, biomedicine, robotics, new materials and next-generation information technology as strategic emerging sectors.
The CAS blueprint adds another layer by focusing on the research capabilities needed to advance these technologies. Its priorities include integrated circuits, AI, quantum technology, life sciences and biotechnology, brain-computer interfaces and controlled nuclear fusion, according to the South China Morning Post. The academy also plans to strengthen basic and interdisciplinary research and develop scientific talent.
These technologies are at different stages. AI is already in commercial use, while fusion, quantum computing and brain-computer interfaces still face major technical challenges.
China is therefore not treating the next technology cycle as a single-product race around AI models. It is building a broader research agenda around technologies that could shape computing, energy, medicine, manufacturing and communications over the next decade.
What China is trying to build
The common thread across these technologies is greater control over the foundations of the economy. Semiconductors are the clearest example. China has faced restrictions from the US on access to advanced chips and chipmaking equipment. In response, Beijing has increased its focus on domestic chip design, manufacturing equipment and related technologies.
According to China's State Council website, the new five-year plan explicitly calls for breakthroughs across the full technology chain in areas including integrated circuits, machine tools, high-end instruments, basic software, advanced materials and biomanufacturing.
China's previous 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) also identified seven frontier technology areas, including next-generation AI, quantum information, semiconductors, neuroscience, biotechnology, advanced clinical medicine and healthcare, and deep-space, deep-sea and polar exploration. According to the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), a China-focused research institute, the plan targeted annual R&D spending growth of more than 7 per cent and aimed to raise the share of R&D spending devoted to basic research to more than 8 per cent.
There is therefore continuity between the two plans. The difference is that the technology push is becoming broader and more deeply connected to industrial policy.
From self-reliance to a wider technology ecosystem
China's technology strategy has also evolved beyond trying to replace imported products. MERICS has described Beijing's approach as a "whole-of-nation" innovation model, in which national resources are concentrated around strategic priorities. The institute said China has sought to modernise its industrial base while improving its ability to direct research and innovation towards national objectives.
The new five-year plan continues this approach but puts greater emphasis on connecting research with industry.
Chinese officials have reportedly said the country wants stronger integration between scientific and industrial innovation, while leading technology companies are being encouraged to participate in major national research projects and form innovation consortia. The government has also said it wants better coordination between education, research and talent development.
This is important for technologies such as quantum computing, fusion and brain-computer interfaces, where having a research breakthrough is only one part of the challenge. Turning laboratory research into commercially useful products requires engineers, manufacturing capabilities, specialised suppliers, computing infrastructure and investment. China is attempting to develop those pieces together.
The US-China technology competition is widening
China's technology priorities increasingly overlap with those of the US. The US launched the Genesis Mission in November 2025 to use AI, supercomputing and scientific data to accelerate research. The programme identifies biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear fission and fusion energy, space exploration, quantum information science, and semiconductors and microelectronics as priority areas.
Both China and the US are focusing on several of the same technologies, including AI, quantum technology, biotechnology, semiconductors and advanced energy. The competition, however, is not limited to research papers or AI models. It extends to access to advanced chips, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, critical minerals, data, talent and supply chains.
MERICS said in a September 2026 report that China's current economic and technology policies are increasingly aimed at building resilience against external shocks and securing strategic value chains. The report identified self-reliance in the innovation ecosystem, protection of the manufacturing base and greater control over strategic supplies as key priorities. That makes technologies such as semiconductors and rare-earth processing strategically important beyond their commercial value.
What about the global AI slowdown debate?
The new Chinese technology blueprint comes at a time when parts of the global technology industry are debating whether the development of frontier AI should slow down.
Global AI experts have called for a pacing of frontier AI development, while other technology leaders have backed greater safeguards. The debate has centred on whether the development of increasingly capable AI systems is moving faster than the ability of companies and governments to manage their risks. The New York Times reported earlier this month that the slowdown debate had spread from Silicon Valley into Washington and Beijing.
China has not announced a blanket pause in AI development. Instead, Beijing has continued to describe AI as a strategic technology while also emphasising governance and human control.
In September, its foreign ministry criticised calls for restrictions on AI development, while Chinese state-linked commentary portrayed some US calls for a slowdown as part of the broader technology competition. The Washington Post reported that Beijing viewed proposals for limiting AI progress with suspicion, particularly given existing US restrictions on advanced chips and technology exports.
That does not mean China is ignoring AI risks. During his September 24 meeting with US President Donald Trump, Xi said the two countries had "more reasons to cooperate" in AI and had a responsibility to develop and manage the technology for good, while keeping it under human control. But there is no indication from the new five-year technology agenda that China intends to step away from AI development.
In fact, the opposite is visible in the policy documents, where AI is being pushed deeper into scientific research, manufacturing and other parts of the economy. The broader takeaway from China's latest technology plans is that Beijing is not treating AI as the endpoint of technological competition.
 "Beyond AI: China bets on quantum, chips and fusion in five year tech plan")
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