Seeing the forward-looking China through the Zhongguancun Forum

Shaanxi Se-Kai

Through the lens of the Zhongguancun Forum, a multidimensional picture of China’s innovative development is clearly visible: anchoring R&D directions to industrial needs, accelerating the leap from “the world’s factory” to an “innovation hub” by coordinating the full value chain, empowering talent and capital, and building the ecosystem across the entire process; coordinating the development of education, science and technology, and a strong talent country, and unlocking innovation-driven momentum through integrated development to lay intellectual groundwork for high-quality development; within the dialectical unity of self-reliance and opening-up innovation, deepening international scientific and technological cooperation through pragmatic actions. China’s profound potential in tech innovation is being unleashed; a China that is becoming increasingly important on the global innovation map is moving forward with an uplifting, determined stride.

On March 25, the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference will open in Beijing. More than a thousand guests from over 100 countries and regions will share innovative ideas across more than a hundred events, deepen exchanges in science and technology, and jointly build a global science and technology exchange and cooperation gathering characterized by openness, collaboration, mutual benefit, and win-win outcomes. From breakthroughs in science and technology to industrial upgrading, the world will come to appreciate the thriving vitality of China on the move toward innovation through this tech feast.

Since its founding in 2007, the Zhongguancun Forum has adopted “innovation and development” as its permanent theme, attracting growing numbers of domestic and international guests and audiences to pay attention to and participate in it, and playing a positive role in promoting exchanges and cooperation in science and technology. This year’s Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, coinciding with the start of the “14th Five-Year Plan and the next Five-Year Plan” period, is especially meaningful. Against the backdrop of a new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation moving forward in tandem, this year’s Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, with the theme of “deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation,” once again stands at the forefront of global exchanges and cooperation in scientific and technological innovation. As a national-level platform of China oriented toward the world, the Zhongguancun Forum shoulders an important mission: to help accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces and to promote global innovation-driven development. Standing at the starting line of technological innovation for the next five years, China will contribute more Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global technological progress and sustainable development through this window.

From here, we can see a model of “an innovation-driven China where technological innovation is guided by industrial needs and applications, and industrial innovation focuses on raising the level of technology.” This year’s Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, centered on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cutting-edge cell and gene therapies, will conduct in-depth discussions on technological innovation and industrial application in relevant areas through diversified formats such as special forums, frontier technology competitions, and technology transaction conferences, providing a matchmaking platform for transforming scientific and technological achievements into productive forces. Behind this is China’s systematic planning around major national scientific and technological projects: extract real problems from the front lines of industry and enterprise needs, and drive coordinated end-to-end design and synchronized advancement across the full chain—from scientific research, technology development, and product R&D, to standard-setting and industrial cultivation—under unified evaluation, so that innovation achievements can move smoothly from laboratories to production lines. From encouraging science and technology talent to root themselves in the front lines of industry to start businesses and pursue innovation, to guiding long-term capital to “invest early, invest small, invest long, and invest in hard-core technology,” and to building a more vibrant innovation ecosystem, a series of initiatives are helping China accelerate its transformation from “the world’s factory” to an “innovation hub.”

From here, we can see a China that advances the building of a country strong in education, a country strong in science and technology, and a country strong in talent in a coordinated way, and improves the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system. In the face of new trends in global scientific and technological competition, only by promoting the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent can we accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, shape new development drivers, and seize the initiative in global science and technology competition. This year’s Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference will invite many well-known universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises from both home and abroad to participate deeply, bringing together innovation communities such as outstanding engineers and young scientific and technological talents. It will focus on discussions around talent cultivation models oriented toward technological development and strategic needs, aiming to stimulate the vitality of innovative talent. At the same time, China is continuously improving mechanisms to align talent cultivation with the needs of economic and social development, increasing efforts to cultivate top-tier innovative talent independently, and refining an evaluation system oriented toward innovation capability, quality, effectiveness, and contribution—creating better conditions for all kinds of talent to grow side by side and showcase their strengths, and providing intellectual support for China as it moves toward innovation.

From here, we can understand a China that, through the dialectical unity of self-reliance and opening-up innovation, is reshaping a new paradigm for international scientific and technological cooperation. Scientific and technological self-reliance is not about shutting the door to reinvent the wheel; rather, it is about strengthening its own foundation through open collaboration. Opening up to the outside world is not dependence or reliance; instead, it enhances independent capability by learning widely from others. This year’s Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference will release the “Action Plan for International Cooperation on Open Science,” precisely to promote shared prosperity in global science and technology through practical and effective actions. Today’s China is both a participant and beneficiary of openness and cooperation in science and technology, and also a contributor and driver. China has already established science and technology cooperation ties with more than 100 countries and regions, and has deeply participated in dozens of international major science programs and projects, with its contribution and influence continuing to rise. Looking back at China’s journey of striving in technological innovation, whether it is new breakthroughs in fundamental frontier research, new leaps in strategic high-tech fields, or new achievements in high-quality development driven by innovation, all vividly confirm this: only by upholding the core in scientific and technological self-reliance and by embracing the world through open cooperation can China continuously enhance its own scientific and technological strength and inject strong momentum into global scientific and technological progress.

Looking at China through the Zhongguancun Forum, its technological strength and pace are truly moving. China’s deep potential in tech innovation is being unleashed; a China that is becoming increasingly important on the global innovation map is moving forward, cutting through the waves with an uplifting spirit.

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