AI seen as key to high-quality growth

China's emphasis on advancing the application of fast-evolving artificial intelligence technology in a wide range of industries will inject new momentum into the country's high-quality economic growth and create enormous opportunities for multinational corporations to invest in the country, said government officials and business executives.

Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration, said AI technology is promoting economic and social development at an unprecedented speed and has become an important driving force bolstering a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

Liu made the remarks on Monday at the China Development Forum 2025 in Beijing, emphasizing that the advancements of AI technology are closely linked with the development and utilization of data, while the combination of high-quality data with AI will give full play to the multiplier effects of data elements.

He said the administration will accelerate the establishment of basic systems for data, step up the supply of high-quality data and press ahead with the construction of digital infrastructure such as a national integrated computing power network, to lay a solid foundation for AI innovation and industrial applications.

This year's Government Work Report stated that under the AI Plus initiative, the nation will work to effectively combine digital technologies with its manufacturing and market strengths, and support the extensive application of large-scale AI models.

"For businesses in China looking to boost their productivity and maintain competitiveness, technologies led by AI present an unprecedented opportunity to create value, respond dynamically to change and build resilience," said Samantha Zhu, chairwoman of Accenture Greater China.

Zhu said the recent progress in the wave of AI-led innovation is very encouraging as companies quickly pick up the signal and mobilize themselves to harness the use of such technologies. "We anticipate more innovation and applications happening across industries and functions, from R&D to manufacturing, from customer interface to warehouse, from upskilling to sustainability," she added.

China's AI sector will make big strides in the next 10 to 15 years, with its market size reaching 1.73 trillion yuan ($238.4 billion) by 2035, accounting for 30.6 percent of the global total, said market research company CCID Consulting.

Executives attending the forum also hailed China's efforts in bolstering technological innovation and cultivating new growth drivers. Ola Kaellenius, Mercedes-Benz Group's chairman of the board of management, who attended the forum, said it is always innovation and technology that spread growth.

He highlighted China's striving for innovation and the environment and policymakers that support unleashing such potential, adding: "That's why we have been investing in R&D in China. With the dual R&D engines in Beijing and Shanghai, we are innovating in China, for China and for the world."

The chairman said: "The Chinese market is a main pillar of our global strategy, and a key driver of our electric and digital transformation. Mercedes-Benz remains committed to long-term investment in China."

The company is investing 14 billion yuan in China together with local partners into new cars and new technologies, and expanding its footprint here.

Denis Depoux, global managing director of consultancy Roland Berger, said people now realize that there's so much innovation in China, and it is quite critical for foreign companies to continue to invest in technological research and development in China. Depoux expects that there will be a lot of scientific discoveries and disruptions coming into innovation.

"In the past decade, we have seen Chinese companies leapfrogging globally in many industries. China has made rapid progress in the development of AI technology, becoming one of the global leaders, and the pace will further accelerate. AI will unlock massive opportunities for our business," he said.