Positive Review of China | Using "Intelligence" to Accelerate the "Spark" of the Smart Economy into a Prairie Fire

Changbai Commentary Commentator Jiu Taiping

On March 13th, the “14th Five-Year Plan” outline was officially released. People noticed that the section on improving digital intelligence development was given its own chapter, emphasizing the need to “deeply promote the construction of Digital China and enhance digital intelligence development.” This year, the government work report for the first time proposed “creating a new form of intelligent economy.” This fully reflects the “14th Five-Year Plan”'s deep insight into the development trend of artificial intelligence and proactive planning.

Policy guidance consolidates strength; digital intelligence empowers a new chapter. From the first mention of “AI+” in the 2024 government work report, to the State Council issuing the “Opinions on Deeply Implementing the ‘AI+’ Action” in 2025 with clear development goals, and to the dedicated chapter on digital intelligence in the “14th Five-Year Plan,” a series of top-level designs are progressing step by step, demonstrating a long-term effort. These plans clearly outline China’s strategic leap from technological exploration to structural development. “Smart economy” is not an isolated new term but an inevitable direction of policy evolution. Behind it is a profound shift of artificial intelligence from a technical tool to a fundamental logic of economic development. As a new economic form following the digital economy, it is accelerating from strategic concept to reality, becoming the core engine driving China’s next golden decade.

Innovation lays a strong foundation; technological empowerment breaks barriers. Developing a smart economy hinges on solidifying the core “data + computing power + algorithms” foundation and overcoming key technological bottlenecks. In recent years, significant breakthroughs have been made. For example, Beijing focuses on building computing clusters and strengthening technical research; Guangdong leverages industrial advantages to promote the iteration of smart terminals; Jiangsu empowers future industrial layouts with scientific and educational resources; Jilin relies on Jilin University to cultivate a unique “Jilin School” embodied intelligent industry cluster and promote AI-enabled agriculture and manufacturing… Different regions, based on their resources and strengths, are making targeted efforts, unleashing innovation vitality and injecting strong technological momentum into the development of the smart economy. Currently, China leads the world in AI development, with domestic large models reaching international advanced levels in multimodal understanding and logical reasoning. The continuous improvement of computing infrastructure supports training trillion-parameter models, complemented by the world’s most complete industrial system, providing a solid foundation for the development of the smart economy.

Integrated empowerment drives industry growth; practical efforts show real results. The vitality of the smart economy lies in integration, and its value is in implementation. At Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University and Jinan Hospital, doctors implanted “brain-computer interfaces” with closed-loop brain pacemakers, and post-surgery, they were pleasantly surprised to find that they could “take bold steps” for the first time in years. This is a real application of future industry technology—brain-computer interfaces—in medical rehabilitation. In more places and fields, future industries are supporting the growth of the smart economy. Shanghai is building a “future industry leading zone,” focusing on quantum computing, 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and has conducted China’s first invasive brain-computer interface clinical trial, establishing a 15 billion yuan future industry fund; Beijing has constructed a “2+N” spatial layout, with Haidian focusing on AI, commercial aerospace, and Daxing developing international hydrogen energy; Shenzhen has iterated its “20+8” policy system, with strategic emerging industries adding value of 1.67 trillion yuan, and the number of specialized and innovative “little giants” ranking first among Chinese cities. Hangzhou, Jiangsu, and other regions are also accelerating breakthroughs in fields like brain-like intelligence and hydrogen energy storage… These practical explorations allow intelligent technology to penetrate all stages of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption, promoting coordinated development of industrial intelligence and intelligent industries, helping traditional industries “bud anew,” and enabling emerging industries to grow from small seedlings into large trees.

Steady progress and long-term planning; united efforts toward the future. The “14th Five-Year Plan” explicitly proposes to “promote deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation” and “foster deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy.” This is not only a necessary response to global industrial division and market pattern changes but also a core measure to solidify the material and technological foundation of Chinese modernization. To advance the smart economy on a new journey, we must seize opportunities, ride the momentum, and also face challenges with perseverance. This year marks the beginning of the “14th Five-Year Plan.” We need to fully leverage the opportunities of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and comprehensively enhance independent innovation capabilities. Specifically, it is necessary to strengthen top-level design, improve coordination mechanisms, break institutional constraints; address resource shortfalls, promote ultra-large-scale intelligent computing clusters and new infrastructure, and establish a robust data element system; deepen openness and cooperation, gather global innovation resources, and build a secure and controllable development ecosystem.

From “AI+” to smart economy is a leap from technological empowerment to economic restructuring, and a forward-looking national strategy. Based on the start of the “14th Five-Year Plan,” accelerating the release of development momentum through digital intelligence, and continuously deepening efforts and gathering collective strength, will surely promote the leapfrog development of the smart economy, provide a strong engine for cultivating new productive forces, and inject continuous “intelligent” energy into the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.