Signal China's 15th Five-Year Plan puts science and technology self-reliance among seven national goals

Summary

The plan reports that China's 15th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2026, includes a substantial rise in science and technology self-reliance among its seven national goals. Its main content, as summarized by the plan, covers a more efficient national innovation system, average annual R&D investment growth of seven percent or more and new quality productive forces through the fusion of science and industry. China is emphasizing policy support for six emerging pillar industries and six future industries. The emerging pillar industries are semiconductors, aerospace, biopharmaceuticals, the low-altitude economy, physical AI and energy storage. The future industries include quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen and fusion, brain-computer interfaces, embodied AI and 6G.