An in-depth analysis of China’s 2025 economic report card reveals a new breakthrough of 140 trillion yuan, surging with new momentum and a new landscape:

For instance, the gathering force of industrial innovation is taking shape. The low-altitude economy is “soaring high,” while embodied AI demonstrates “agile thinking and deft action.” The output of civilian drones and industrial robots increased by 37.3% and 28% year-on-year, respectively. Furthermore, the digital industry is flourishing, with integrated applications of industrial internet comprehensively covering 41 major industrial categories…

The future is already here. Looking back at our 2025, we suddenly realize how close future industries are to everyone—they are the intelligent robots that performed on the Spring Festival Gala and entered millions of households, the drones that deliver packages to our doorsteps, and our trips to “space towns” like Wenchang to chase rocket launches, where commercial spaceflight fulfills the space and stargazing dreams of so many…

Germination, formation, gaining momentum… In the new era, how are future industries accelerating their rise and illuminating our lives?

On January 30, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held its 24th collective study session, with “forward-looking planning and development of future industries” as the theme. “Promote continuous new breakthroughs in the development of China’s future industries”—these earnest words convey firmness and strength.

Only by embracing the “two overarching situations” to study and comprehend the spirit of this meeting can we grow more confident in the path we have taken and the path forward, better understand the profound foresight behind the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments, and find the “key of thought” explaining how future industries have developed and continuously grown.

Let’s grasp it through a few keywords.

The first keyword is strategy.

“The Party Central Committee views issues from a broad perspective.” The first collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in the opening year of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” focusing on how to plan and develop future industries, contains profound strategic thinking. “Grasp the initiative in development”—this phrase mentioned reflects the strategic initiative of Communists.

Looking into the depths of history, there is a stark contrast: modern China, which missed the opportunities of the Industrial Revolution, versus present-day China, which is seizing the wave of the new technological revolution. Strategic choices have led to vastly different national fortunes. Practice has repeatedly proven that only those who grasp historical and epochal opportunities can shape advantages and gain initiative amid the tides of evolving global dynamics.

Looking at the present, the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal explicitly calls for “forward-looking planning of future industries” and identifies it as a key measure for “building a modern industrial system.” Is this not a proactive move against the backdrop of “the accelerated evolution of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation”? The profound insight into timing and momentum embodies “overcoming difficulties, battling risks, and meeting challenges with a spirit of historical initiative.”

Looking to the future, how can strategic initiative be transformed into developmental initiative? “We must fully leverage the advantages of the new nationwide system, adhering to the principle of ‘industry posing questions, science and technology providing answers.'” This earnest guidance articulates our strategic advantage. In the new era, various regions and departments leverage the institutional advantage of concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks, “accomplishing” the development of 24 of China’s innovation clusters ranked among the global top 100, “accomplishing” the establishment of international science and technology innovation centers like Beijing (Jing-Jin-Ji), Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and “accomplishing” the resilient Chinese economy’s forward march toward innovation and improvement…

Doesn’t the future of future industries also gestate within this strategic deployment and planning? “We must focus on the main direction of China’s future industry development during the ’15th Five-Year Plan’ period,” “We must leverage the principal role of enterprises, driving various innovation resources to gather around them”… All aspects demonstrate strategic thinking and are grounded in practical reflection.

The second keyword is pragmatism.

At the Central Political Bureau’s democratic life meeting late last year, the statement “Communists are materialists, and pragmatism is an essential character” left a deep impression.

Developing future industries is by no means blindly following trends to build “castles in the

Spring Festival Gala

The Spring Festival Gala is an annual televised variety show broadcast by China Central Television (CCTV) on Lunar New Year’s Eve. First held in 1983, it was created to celebrate the traditional holiday and has since become a modern cultural institution, uniting hundreds of millions of families across China with its mix of skits, songs, and performances. It reflects societal changes and is often considered the world’s most-watched television program.

Wenchang

Wenchang is a coastal city on Hainan Island, China, historically celebrated as the “Hometown of Culture” for producing many distinguished scholars during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is now most famous as the site of the **Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site**, China’s first and most modern coastal launch center, which became operational in 2016. This combination of deep literary heritage and its pivotal role in the nation’s contemporary space program defines its unique identity.

Beijing (Jing-Jin-Ji)

“Beijing (Jing-Jin-Ji)” refers not just to the historic capital of China, but to a major modern regional development strategy. It is a national-level plan to integrate Beijing, the port city of Tianjin (Jin), and the surrounding Hebei (Ji) province into a coordinated economic megaregion. While Beijing itself has a history as a capital for over 800 years, the “Jing-Jin-Ji” concept was formally launched in the 21st century to alleviate Beijing’s urban pressures and promote balanced regional growth.

Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta)

Shanghai is a major global metropolis located in the Yangtze River Delta, historically a small fishing village that grew into a significant port following the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. It later became an international trading hub and financial center, with its iconic Bund waterfront showcasing its colonial-era architecture and rapid modern development. Today, it is China’s most populous city and a leading economic engine, symbolized by its futuristic skyline in the Pudong district.

Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a major national development strategy in China, integrating nine cities in Guangdong Province with the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao into a unified economic and innovation hub. Historically, these regions have long been connected through trade and migration, but the formal “Greater Bay Area” initiative was launched around 2017 to deepen cooperation and leverage their combined strengths in finance, technology, and manufacturing. It aims to create a world-class city cluster rivaling other global bay areas like those of San Francisco and Tokyo.

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid technological and socioeconomic transformation, beginning in Britain in the late 18th century, which saw the shift from hand production to mechanized factory systems. Key sites of this era include preserved mills, ironworks, and early factories, such as those in England’s Ironbridge Gorge—a UNESCO World Heritage Site often called the “birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.” These locations illustrate the profound changes in industry, transportation, and urban life that shaped the modern world.

15th Five-Year Plan

The “15th Five-Year Plan” is not a physical place or cultural site, but a strategic national development blueprint for the People’s Republic of China. It refers to the economic and social guidelines set for the years 2026 to 2030, building upon the previous fourteen such plans initiated in 1953. Its history is part of China’s long-term state planning system aimed at guiding the country’s growth, modernization, and policy priorities over a five-year period.

Central Political Bureau’s democratic life meeting

The Central Political Bureau’s democratic life meeting is a key internal Party mechanism within the Communist Party of China, designed to foster unity and self-improvement through criticism and self-criticism among top leaders. This practice, with roots in the Party’s historical emphasis on internal democracy and discipline, serves to maintain political cohesion and ensure alignment with the Party’s principles and policies.