Beijing outlines tech push with focus on AI, 6G, humanoid robots

China aims to make breakthroughs in artificial intelligence chips, accelerate 6G development and establish key benchmarks for humanoid robotics, as the country kicks off its new five-year plan prioritising innovation as a key driver of economic growth.To promote the development of the AI industry, the government was targeting breakthroughs in core technologies such as training chips and heterogeneous computing, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said at a Wednesday press conference.The ministry said it also aimed to integrate AI into sectors such as software, biotech and communications, drive breakthroughs in AI models and intelligent agents, support enterprise growth, and strengthen the AI ecosystem through the introduction of industry standards and open-source initiatives.Similarly, China would build an open-source community for humanoid robots and release guidelines for embodied intelligence, the MIIT said.Over the past few years, China’s technology sector has seen rapid growth. From start-ups to tech giants, Chinese companies are racing to launch innovations amid intensifying US-China tech rivalry.Local governments continue to prioritise hi-tech in their development blueprints for the next five years.For example, by 2030 Hangzhou aimed to cultivate more than three internationally leading open-source foundational AI models and achieve over 600 billion yuan (US$86 billion) in core AI industry revenue, according to the city’s 15th five-year plan, as reported by Shanghai-based financial news agency Cailian Press on Wednesday. The capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province is already home to tech start-ups including AI developer DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics.