During a press conference on July 23rd in Chengdu, held for the 2026 APEC Digital and Artificial Intelligence Ministerial Meeting, the Director of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Science and Technology Department, Wei Wei, highlighted China's significant progress in the AI sector.
Current data shows China's core AI industry scale has surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025, with over 6,200 related enterprises. Products like AI glasses, AI phones, and AI computers are emerging, while humanoid robots are now entering factory work. Open-source model downloads have exceeded 10 billion, ranking first globally.
Wei Wei stated that these achievements not only showcase the success of China's "Artificial Intelligence Plus" initiative but also provide a solid foundation for cooperation with APEC economies. Moving forward, China will use the outcomes of this ministerial meeting to jointly advance AI industry development and comprehensive empowerment with APEC members, focusing on three key areas.
First: Strengthening Open-Source Innovation Collaboration
The development of AI requires an open and trusted innovation environment. China is actively promoting the deep integration of AI technological innovation and industrial innovation, accelerating breakthroughs in AI chips and cutting-edge algorithms. It is implementing a "Model-Data Resonance" action to enhance mutual empowerment between models and data. China will build high-quality datasets and encourage the development of open-source AI projects, continuously reducing and eliminating technical barriers. It aims to establish various innovation platforms with APEC economies to enhance technical exchanges and results transformation, supporting the flow of knowledge, technology, and talent to promote beneficial and inclusive AI.
Second: Co-developing Scenario-Based Empowerment Applications
Scenario-driven and application-pulled development is a key method and experience for China's AI advancement. China is actively promoting AI empowerment across all industries, especially through a dedicated "AI + Manufacturing" action plan. This involves identifying high-value application scenarios on a per-industry basis, cultivating AI application service providers, building a batch of industrial intelligence entities, and accelerating AI use in R&D, pilot testing, and production. China is willing to work with APEC economies to create high-value scenarios and typical applications, providing affordable, high-performance intelligent terminals and solutions to help partners upgrade their economic and social systems intelligently.
Third: Enhancing Safety and Governance Coordination
Risks posed by AI are a common global challenge, and it is essential to ensure AI becomes a trustworthy tool for humanity. China adheres to balancing development and safety, continuously improving relevant laws, regulations, policies, application norms, and ethical guidelines. In ethical governance, China has implemented an AI technology ethics review and service pilot program, becoming the first to conduct such reviews globally. It recently released the "International AI Ethics Governance Action Plan," which has received positive responses. Within the APEC framework, China will share its "Chinese approach" to AI governance, strengthen policy and regulatory coordination with other economies, promote mutual recognition of standards, jointly conduct risk monitoring and emergency response, and enhance the safety, reliability, and controllability of AI.
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