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Recently, several regions have unveiled special plans for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a key focus.

For example, the Beijing Digital Economy Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period, released on September 9, calls for efforts to “explore new model architectures, swarm intelligence and brain-inspired intelligence, and seize the strategic high ground in next-generation AI technologies.” The Digital Hubei Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period, released on September 10, emphasizes “promoting the deep integration of AI and the real economy.” The Guangxi Financial Sector Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period, released on September 18, calls for efforts to “promote mutual empowerment between AI and the financial sector.”

Guo Tao, deputy director of the China Electronic Commerce Expert Service Center, said in an interview that AI is a key driver of innovation. The focus on AI in local plans for the 15th Five-Year Plan period will help accelerate the application of AI technologies across industries, supporting the upgrading of traditional industries, the growth of emerging industries and the early development of future industries. This, in turn, will help expand effective investment, boost job creation and contribute to high-quality economic and social development.

A notable feature of the latest round of measures is the emphasis on “AI Plus” initiatives. In August, for instance, the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government released the Chongqing AI Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period (2026–2030), outlining measures to advance “AI Plus” in advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture and future industries.

The Guangxi Financial Sector Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period calls for Guangxi to become a leading hub for “AI Plus Finance” innovation. It also encourages financial institutions and technology companies to participate in developing the national pilot base for AI applications established by China UnionPay, while calling for stronger ethical governance of AI applications in finance.

Chen Xiaohua, executive dean of the Academy of Education, Science and Technology under the China Mobile Communications Association, said in an interview that efforts by local governments to advance “AI Plus” initiatives across the primary, secondary and tertiary industries will help deepen the integration of AI technologies with the real economy. As they advance “AI Plus” initiatives, local governments should pursue differentiated development and tailor their priorities to local conditions. This would allow them to build distinctive industrial strengths while fostering coordinated development in which different regions complement one another.

Some local plans for the 15th Five-Year Plan period also explicitly call for the tiered attraction and cultivation of AI companies. Experts interviewed said that a tiered approach to developing and attracting AI companies is essential to building a sound AI industrial ecosystem and expanding the application of AI across all areas of the real economy. The “AI Plus” initiative covers a wide range of industries, each with a different level of readiness for intelligent transformation. Relying solely on leading enterprises will not be enough. Therefore, attracting and developing small and medium-sized AI enterprises is crucial. Local authorities should provide targeted support to different types of SMEs in areas such as financial services, computing resources, and technology exchanges.

After years of development, China’s AI sector has made notable progress across a range of areas, including policy frameworks, infrastructure, the scale of the core industry, product innovation, standards development, and global governance. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, China’s AI industry is estimated to have exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025, up 40 percent year on year. As of June 2026, China had more than 6,600 AI companies, accounting for 15 percent of the global total. The country has also developed a complete AI industrial ecosystem spanning foundational infrastructure, model frameworks, and industry applications.

Looking ahead, how can China further promote the high-quality development of its AI industry? Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, said in an interview that efforts should focus on five priorities: strengthening the technological foundation, improving the ecosystem, promoting integration, ensuring security and expanding openness. These efforts should include continuously strengthening the foundations of computing power, algorithms, and data; fostering greater collaboration among large, medium-sized, and small enterprises; exploring different pathways for scaling up AI deployment and making AI applications routine; improving the AI security governance framework and strengthening risk prevention and response capabilities; and taking a more active role in shaping international AI rules.

Source: Securities Daily