Chinese President Xi Jinping has called upon the nation to step up its efforts in research and innovation.
Xi, while addressing a symposium in Shanghai on Thursday, underscored the importance of basic research as the cornerstone of the entire scientific system, reported the South China Morning Post.
He pointed out that global tech rivalries are increasingly centered on basic and frontier fields, making “original and disruptive innovation” essential.
Xi also called for increased funding for basic research and the development of a more diversified investment landscape. He demanded better conditions for researchers and a stronger innovation environment that is “open, inclusive and tolerant of failure”.
In 2025, Beijing spent about 280 billion yuan ($41 billion) on R&D, as national R&D spending rose steadily to over 3.92 trillion yuan ($570 billion).
Tech Rivalry Intensifies
The call for disruptive innovation comes at a time when the tech war between the two leading economies is intensifying. Earlier this week, China directed Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, the Singapore-based AI startup with Chinese origins, citing regulations violations.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is taking significant measures to limit China’s access to its technology. Last week, the Congress, amid push from Micron Technologies (NASDAQ:MU), advanced the MATCH ACT, rolling out its largest export control upgrade against China. It includes 20 measures restricting Chinese access to U.S. technology and blocking chipmakers from advanced semiconductor equipment.
Earlier, the Trump administration had accused Beijing of running “industrial-scale campaigns” aimed at replicating advanced U.S. AI systems. Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated that these efforts involve extracting knowledge from leading American AI models and using it to build competing systems at lower cost, which is an “unacceptable” threat when conducted without authorization.
Furthermore, on Wednesday, Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the U.S. ban on Chinese automakers, codifying Biden-era rules and expanding restrictions to cover vehicles, parts, and software linked to China and other adversarial countries.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock
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