China accelerates high-quality growth with new quality productive forces

As a pivotal move in China's pursuit of high-quality growth, the development of new quality productive forces has gained significant momentum, with remarkable results achieved across various sectors in 2024, said Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the third session of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Liu made the remarks at the nation's top political advisory body's press conference on Monday, one day before its annual session.

As technological and industrial innovation become more deeply integrated, traditional industries are experiencing a profound transformation by embracing intelligence, sustainability and wide adoption of smart equipment, Liu said.

Notably, China is home to 79 of the world's 189 "lighthouse factories" — cutting-edge manufacturing sites — and nearly half of these are in traditional sectors such as steel and food production, he added.

At the same time, emerging and future-oriented industries are also flourishing. From humanoid robots performing traditional dances on the Spring Festival Gala, to drones creating dazzling "cyber fireworks" in the night sky, then to the open-source AI models that have sparked global discussions, China's innovative capabilities are capturing global attention, Liu said.

According to the spokesman, the added value of high-tech manufacturing above designated size grew by 8.9 percent last year, while the country now accounts for over half of the world's industrial robot installations.

"New quality productive forces are a powerful engine for high-quality development," emphasized Liu, "The CPPCC will continue to leverage its strengths to unlock even greater potential."