Xi urges advanced manufacturing in modernisation drive

President Xi Jinping has urged sustained efforts to expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing to provide strong support for advancing Chinese modernisation. He made the remarks in a recent instruction, which was conveyed at a national conference on advanced manufacturing held in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday. Efforts should be made to ensure both high-quality development and greater security, pursue smart, green and integrated development, and make the country's industrial chains more self-supporting and risk-resilient, Xi stressed. The nation will "continue making advanced manufacturing ⁠bigger and stronger, enhance the ⁠autonomy and controllability of industrial chains", Xi said in remarks delivered at ⁠the National Advanced Manufacturing Conference in Beijing. He emphasised the need to accelerate the development of a modernised industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone and reinforce the foundations of the real economy. Premier Li Qiang said the nation should focus on next-generation intelligent manufacturing, accelerate digital and AI-driven industrial upgrades, and strengthen its push for homegrown high-end technologies. (Xinhua) Edited by Aaron Tam