China is recalibrating its economic engine for the second half of the decade, as Premier Li Qiang chaired a pivotal State Council meeting to finalize the strategic architecture for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). The central government has called for an aggressive expansion of "ultra-large-scale intelligent computing clusters," signaling a shift from software-centric AI development to a massive state-led build-out of the physical infrastructure required to power the next generation of industrial intelligence. This push aims to treat computing power as a strategic public utility, essential for maintaining economic sovereignty in an era of global technological competition.
By prioritizing the construction of these clusters, Beijing is doubling down on its "AI+" initiative, which seeks to integrate artificial intelligence into the country’s existing, comprehensive industrial base. The leadership emphasized that China’s advantage lies in its vast array of application scenarios and its complete manufacturing ecosystem. To capitalize on this, the State Council has directed agencies to strengthen the supply of high-quality data and bridge the gap between basic research and commercial application, while simultaneously building a robust regulatory framework to manage ethical risks and security vulnerabilities.
The meeting also saw the approval of the "15th Five-Year Plan for Carbon Peaking," which reframes the green transition not as a cost, but as a catalyst for economic structural upgrading. By embedding low-carbon requirements into the core of the national economic cycle, Beijing intends to cultivate new "green growth points" in the energy and industrial sectors. This environmental strategy is designed to work in tandem with the technology push, ensuring that the next five years of growth are characterized by high efficiency and reduced carbon intensity.
On the international stage, the State Council signaled a shift in its trade doctrine toward quality over quantity. The new directive focuses on increasing the brand influence and value-added nature of Chinese exports, with a specific emphasis on digital trade and service-oriented sectors. Amid an increasingly fragmented global trade environment, the meeting underscored the importance of "independent opening up" and the integration of domestic and foreign trade systems, aiming to bolster the resilience of China’s supply chains while expanding its influence in the global marketplace.