BEIJING — The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council issued joint policy guidelines on October 9, 2026, outlining 19 specific measures to accelerate core technology breakthroughs and establish scientific self-reliance. The directive marks a policy shift by granting leading private technology firms primary authority over select state-level R&D tasks—a role historically reserved for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government institutes.
Aligned with the framework of “New Quality Productive Forces” embedded in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), the initiative designates 28 major technological projects among its strategic tasks. The directive emphasizes full implementation of the national “AI Plus” initiative, secure data infrastructure expansion, and digital manufacturing clusters, paired with strict government oversight to ensure artificial intelligence systems remain “safe, reliable, and controllable”.
STRATEGIC DIRECTIVES & INDUSTRIAL BREAKDOWN 
* Core Policy Directives & Private Sector Integration:
* R&D Decentralization: Empowers capable private enterprises to lead major national science and technology initiatives alongside national laboratories.
* 15th Five-Year Plan Synergy: Integrates 28 primary tech-focused projects into national development agendas to secure critical manufacturing supply chains.
* “AI Plus” & Advanced Industrial Deployment:
* Cross-Industry AI Integration: Full rollout of “AI Plus” to automate and upgrade traditional manufacturing, energy distribution, and logistics sectors.
* Risk Warning & Oversight Architecture: Establishes real-time monitoring, emergency response protocols, and technology-risk early warning systems for AI deployments.
* Market Reforms & Anti-Involution Protocols:
* Anti-Involution Regulations: Controls targeted at mitigating destructive price wars (“involution-style” competition) across crowded sectors like electric vehicles (EVs), photovoltaics, and robotics.
* Foreign Capital & Standards Access: Encourages foreign venture capital firms and international standards organizations to operate within domestic high-tech clusters.
