In China’s long-term economic planning, technology has moved from a sector of growth to a foundation of national strategy. Speaking on the country’s development priorities, President Xi Jinping has again underscored the importance of technological self-reliance, describing domestic innovation as essential to China’s modernization and long-term stability.

The message reflects a broader policy direction that has taken shape over recent years. Chinese leaders have increasingly emphasized the need to strengthen homegrown capabilities in critical technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and digital infrastructure. The goal is not only economic competitiveness, but also resilience in an environment shaped by geopolitical tensions and supply chain uncertainty.

External pressures have played a significant role in shaping this approach. Restrictions on advanced technology exports, particularly in the semiconductor sector, have highlighted China’s dependence on foreign components and equipment. In response, Beijing has expanded support for research, domestic production, and collaboration between industry, universities, and state-backed institutions.

The push for self-reliance is also tied to a broader shift in China’s development model. After decades of growth driven by investment, exports, and infrastructure, policymakers have increasingly focused on innovation as the next engine of productivity and industrial upgrading. Advanced technologies are seen as critical to improving efficiency, strengthening high-value industries, and supporting long-term economic transformation.

At the same time, officials have stressed that self-reliance does not mean isolation. China continues to signal that it supports international cooperation and foreign investment, even as it works to reduce vulnerabilities in key sectors. The balance between openness and independence has become a defining feature of the country’s economic strategy.

For global businesses and governments, the emphasis on domestic capability carries wide implications. It suggests continued state support for strategic industries, growing competition in high-tech fields, and an evolving technology landscape shaped as much by national priorities as by market forces.

Xi’s remarks reinforce a consistent theme in China’s policy narrative: modernization will depend not only on growth, but on control over the technologies that shape the future. In an era where economic strength and technological capacity are increasingly intertwined, self-reliance has become both a development goal and a strategic safeguard.