Seize the Key to Innovation and Unlock New Horizons for “Made in China”

　　BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) — Faced with fierce competition and the pressures of a challenging transition, China has seized the key to innovation and embarked on new practices in supply-side structural reform. As a result, “Made in China” has opened up fresh prospects for development and gained new momentum for transformation and upgrading.

　　New technologies and breakthroughs are being rapidly commercialized, new models and business formats are continuously emerging, and both value added and global influence are steadily rising. Innovation is powerfully steering the “Made in China” vessel as it surges ahead through the waves.

　　Innovation: Crafting a New Brand for “Made in China”

　　On April 3, local time, at Boston’s City Hall Plaza, a Boston Orange Line subway train manufactured by CRRC drew large crowds. This marked the first time a “CRRC-made” train met its future passengers.

　　From leveling the bogies and assembling and engaging gear screws to breakthroughs in cold‑resistant and high‑temperature‑resistant technologies and system‑integration control, the innovation behind a single train is countless. According to Liu Hualong, Chairman of CRRC, China’s rail transit industry has achieved comprehensive export of its entire industrial chain—including traction and ventilation systems—and, thanks to its superior quality and cutting‑edge technology, has become a highly sought‑after partner in the international market. In the past six months alone, CRRC has secured orders for 184 subway cars in Boston and Los Angeles.

　　Represented by rail transit, “Made in China” in the new era is gradually shifting from low‑value‑added processing and manufacturing toward “Created in China,” which places greater emphasis on cutting‑edge technology, superior quality, and high standards. The Shenzhou spacecraft, the Tianhe supercomputer, the BeiDou navigation system—each a prominent Chinese brand—stands as a testament to China’s independent innovation and serves as a shining “Chinese calling card” on the global stage.

　　It is worth noting that in recent years, “Made in China” has seen accelerating innovation in cutting-edge fields, with a number of breakthroughs filling domestic gaps, securing a foothold on the global stage, and potentially spearheading new industries and opening up emerging markets.

　　Huawei has pioneered the world’s first high‑temperature, long‑life graphene‑based lithium‑ion battery, raising the upper operating temperature by 10°C and doubling its service life. Meanwhile, the domestically produced CPU‑powered “Sunway TaihuLight” has become the world’s first supercomputer to exceed an exaflop—capable of performing over one quintillion calculations per second. New‑technology products such as quantum‑dot TVs and OLED TVs are also emerging at an accelerating pace.

　　According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China has made significant advances in cutting-edge research across multiple fields, including transparent display technology, lithium-ion batteries, and superconducting materials, placing it at the forefront internationally.

　　“Driven by science and technology, China’s manufacturing sector is striving to seize opportunities, forging a broader and more diversified path of development that is bringing about profound changes,” said Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology.

　　Innovation injects new momentum into transformation and upgrading.

　　Through innovations in product design, technical solutions, and material applications, Goertek Inc. and its partners have successfully developed a virtual reality headset that delivers an enhanced wearing experience; the product is expected to launch by the end of this year.

　　As a homegrown Chinese manufacturer, Goertek has, over the past decade and more, leveraged its manufacturing expertise in micro‑acoustic modules and sensors to become a key supplier to internationally renowned companies such as Samsung and Sony.

　　“Although working as a supplier has its advantages, our growth has never been entirely in our own hands,” said Ji Yong, vice president of Goertek. The company plans to deepen its expertise in areas such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, accelerating its transformation and innovation.

　　As the dividends of “latecomer advantage” and “comparative advantage” gradually dwindle, how can we identify new sources of momentum? With overcapacity and soaring costs, how can we boost efficiency and deliver greater value? And amid uneven development across regions and industries, how can we achieve coordinated growth? The challenges confronting “Made in China” all call for solutions rooted in innovation.

　　“To achieve a transition through climbing the slope, the key lies in leveraging existing assets. We must integrate innovative thinking into every link across all sectors to effectively drive quality improvement and efficiency gains,” said Li Beiguang, Deputy Director-General of the Planning Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

　　What can you accomplish in two seconds? At Qingdao Hongling Group, cutting-edge 3D body-scanning technology captures 22 measurements across 19 body parts in the blink of an eye, automating the entire garment‑fitting process. By applying internet‑based thinking to reinvent industrial production workflows, Hongling has not only streamlined the speed of body measurement but also enabled personalized manufacturing on the assembly line, opening up new possibilities.

　　“We began exploring the industrial internet initially to address inventory challenges, but after a few years, we realized it had evolved into a comprehensive methodology that upended traditional industry paradigms,” said Zhang Daili, Chairman of Hongling Group.

　　It’s not just the red‑collar workforce that’s changing. Since the launch of “Made in China 2025,” the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has designated 109 pilot and demonstration projects for intelligent manufacturing, which have boosted production efficiency by more than 30 percent on average and reduced operating costs by over 20 percent on average.

　　In addition to structural adjustments within industries, interregional industrial relocation has become more balanced and targeted.

　　Shenzhen’s drones, Zhuzhou’s “Power Valley,” Wuhan’s “Optics Valley,” Shenyang’s robotics industry—over recent years, several Chinese regions have leveraged their existing industrial strengths, actively attracted and integrated high‑end production factors and cutting‑edge technologies, thereby achieving differentiated development across regions and sketching a new map of manufacturing.

　　“Innovation also requires channeling the right resources to the right places, enabling targeted and precise efforts. This is precisely the essence of supply-side structural reform,” said Miao Wei. He added that the emergence of a new manufacturing landscape not only drives the transformation and upgrading of local industries but also bolsters confidence in achieving “overtaking on a curve.”

　　Innovation: Sustaining Vitality Through Reform

　　Standing at the cusp of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, “Made in China” needs, more than ever before, to seize the initiative through major innovations. This is both an opportunity that must not be missed and a challenge that cannot be afforded to lose. The pressing priority is to ignite the engine of innovation through reform, dismantle institutional and systemic barriers that impede progress, and unlock greater room for development.

　　On the one hand, we must continue to advance the transformation of government functions, remove obstacles, and pave the way for innovation and entrepreneurship.

　　From resolutely advancing administrative streamlining and delegation of power, to vigorously promoting mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and further to accelerating broadband speeds while reducing costs in the telecommunications sector, government departments have continued to dismantle entrenched institutional and systemic inefficiencies, thereby unleashing market vitality and unlocking development potential. Last year, on average, 15,100 new enterprises were registered each day nationwide, marking a peak since the launch of commercial system reform.

　　However, “as we move forward, others are advancing as well.” Reform must not stall; it must continue to deepen and expand, unleashing the vitality of every enterprise and every individual, thereby creating the time and space needed for development.

　　On the other hand, we must also foster a more conducive and tolerant institutional environment, establish “fast-track” pathways, dismantle the “glass walls” that impede cost‑transformation, and remove institutional barriers to talent mobility, thereby enabling innovation to flourish.

　　Miao Wei stated that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is advancing the establishment of manufacturing innovation centers to build innovation platforms in key sectors, pool resources for tackling critical technological challenges, and accelerate the translation of research findings into productive capacity. To date, a power‑battery innovation center has been set up, and by 2020, approximately 15 national‑level innovation centers will have been established.

　　With innovative breakthroughs in hand, translating them into industrial applications remains a significant challenge. This calls for a robust mechanism that accommodates and mitigates risks associated with innovation. In sectors such as major equipment and new materials, China has also launched pilot insurance‑compensation schemes geared toward market deployment, encouraging users to embrace and experiment with new technologies and equipment. Going forward, policies will continue to be refined to further enhance their effectiveness and broaden their scope of application.

　　As can be seen, measures to drive innovation are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and a favorable environment in which the entire society values and aspires to innovation is taking shape. “Looking ahead, we will further strengthen the integration of science, technology, and the economy, and by continuously advancing reforms, we will elevate ‘Made in China’ to a new level,” said Miao Wei.