Multiple Chinese government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the General Administration of Customs, have recently issued detailed statements regarding the development of artificial intelligence during press conferences. These announcements outline specific work plans and reveal key industry trends and noteworthy highlights.
Strategic Direction for High-Quality AI Development
The NDRC outlined its approach to driving high-quality AI development by accelerating independent innovation, strengthening foundational research and technological breakthroughs, and speeding up the opening and sharing of data alongside the construction of AI language corpora. The commission will emphasize application-led growth by accelerating the layout of national AI application pilot bases. It will also deepen ecosystem collaboration by promoting the "model-chip-cloud-application" full-chain, synergistic innovation and efficient adaptation. Furthermore, the NDRC plans to improve the critical institutional framework by accelerating the legislative process for an AI law and to strengthen risk monitoring and prevention by establishing systems for technical monitoring, early warning, and emergency response. Finally, it will deepen global cooperation and governance by accelerating the establishment of the World AI Cooperation Organization.
Optimizing Computing Power Resource Allocation
The MIIT will focus on four key areas for the rational layout of computing resources. Efforts will be made at the "point" level to optimize computing resource supply, balancing industrial development with energy supply to promote intelligent computing cluster construction and coordinated computing-power and electricity development. At the "chain" level, innovation will be fostered by publishing a computing power standards system construction guide and establishing standards for service capability assessment and market-based pricing. Upgrades at the "network" level will involve building high-speed broadband networks and efficient computing transmission channels, alongside advancing the "millisecond computing" initiative in urban areas. Finally, comprehensive empowerment will be achieved by implementing a special action to empower small and medium-sized enterprises with accessible computing power and by organizing international exchanges for computing power companies.
Fostering Mutual Empowerment Between AI and Intellectual Property
The National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will focus on three areas. It will continue to advance AI-related intellectual property system innovation, including amending the "Guidelines for Patent Applications for AI-Related Inventions" and refining patent examination standards for emerging industries. The CNIPA will also promote the use of AI to improve the quality and efficiency of its own work by expanding deployment scenarios for AI large models in areas like patent examination, protection, and utilization. Additionally, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, it will deepen international cooperation in AI-related intellectual property by actively participating in the development of international rules, technical standards, and governance systems.
AI Applications in the Energy Sector
The National Energy Administration identified three main application scenarios for AI in the energy sector. The first is improving efficiency, where AI assists in complex but repetitive tasks like intelligent inspections and defect identification. For example, the "Kunlun" large model in the oil industry has increased computational efficiency in exploration and development by over tenfold. The second is solving challenges, particularly for complex power systems with high proportions of new energy sources. The "Yudian" large model in the power sector can manage fluctuations in wind and solar power output and assist in generating grid dispatch plans to improve renewable energy consumption. The third is intelligent operation, shifting from decision support to autonomous execution. For instance, during a distribution network fault, the "Guangming Electric Power" large model can act like a "doctor" to sense line anomalies, pinpoint fault locations, and perform intelligent restoration.
Building Smart Ports and Customs
The General Administration of Customs will include 43 key ports in the national "Smart Port Construction Project" for the "15th Five-Year Plan." It aims to make "AI+" port application scenarios richer and more profound, promoting the integrated development of smart ports, smart customs, smart border inspection, and smart maritime affairs. Future smart port scenarios are expected to feature modern, unmanned terminals operating efficiently, traveler inspection channels with intelligent robots guiding passengers, and land ports with autonomous driving and intelligent inspection for efficient passage.
Smart Transportation Development
The Ministry of Transport will pursue smart travel by initiating digital and intelligent upgrades for highways and important access points within metropolitan areas, ring roads, and commuter corridors. It will also promote the construction of systems for smart parking guidance, smart vehicle finding, and intelligent parking at transport hubs, pushing forward "AI + Transportation" scenario applications in metropolitan areas.
Drone Logistics and Smart Terminals
The State Post Bureau's "15th Five-Year Plan" for the postal industry explicitly focuses on expanding drone mail delivery for high-timeliness, high-value needs, and special scenarios like mountainous areas, islands, and plateaus. It also encourages the construction of drone takeoff and landing platforms at delivery outlets and village service stations. Beyond hardware, the plan calls for the widespread adoption of smart terminals and agents to improve the level of intelligent monitoring and scheduling throughout the entire process.
Analysis: Three Signals and Three Highlights
Hao Jianbin, a researcher at the Digital Economy Research Institute of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and a member of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Expert Committee, analyzed that the policies clearly anchor the main line of cultivating new quality productive forces, setting a course for the implementation of the intelligent industry. The policies release three core signals. First, AI has become a core lever for high-quality development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, transitioning from a frontier technology concept to a necessary industry for real economy transformation. Second, China's AI development has entered a phase of full-scale implementation, permeating key sectors of the national economy. Third, the top-level planning has formed a cross-departmental collaborative consensus, breaking down industry barriers. Three key highlights are worth attention. First, the policies adhere to an industry-implementation orientation, binding AI to specific application scenarios. Second, both software and hardware supporting systems are being improved simultaneously, balancing innovation with institutional safeguards. Third, the approach is layered and step-by-step, precisely empowering various industries by deploying mature scenarios in the short term while targeting long-term goals like port intelligence by 2030.
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