China focuses on ‘frontier’ technology from chips to quantum computing

GUANGZHOU, China – China seeks to boost research on what it calls “frontier technology,” including quantum computing and semiconductors, as it competes with the United States for supremacy in the latest innovations.

In its five-year development plan, the 14th of its kind, Beijing said it would make “the self-sufficiency and self-improvement of science and technology a strategic pillar of national development,” according to a translation by CNBC.

Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that China will increase its research and development spending by more than 7% per year between 2021 and 2025, in search of “major breakthroughs” in the field of technology.

Chinese tech champions such as Huawei and the minimum wage have been targeted by US sanctions as tensions between Beijing and Washington have escalated in recent years.

As such, China has focused on strengthening its domestic expertise in areas it considers strategically important, such as semiconductors. And now he has showcased seven “cutting edge technologies” that he will prioritize not only for the next five years, but also beyond.

China plans to focus on the development of specialized chips for AI applications and the development of so-called open source algorithms. Open source technology is usually developed by one entity and licensed by other companies.

Emphasis will also be placed on machine learning in areas such as decision making. Machine learning is the development of AI programs trained on large amounts of data. The program “learns” because it receives more data.

AI has been a key area for Chinese companies and the central government in recent years. Large companies such as Alibaba and Baidu have invested in the technology.

China and the United States are vying for dominance of AI. A panel chaired by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said China may soon replace the United States as the world’s “AI superpower”.

Semiconductors are a critical area for China and in which they have invested heavily in recent years, but the country has struggled to catch up with the United States, Taiwan and South Korea.

The problem is the complexity of the semiconductor supply chain. Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung are the two most advanced chipmakers, but they rely on American and European tools.

Washington put SMIC, China’s largest chipmaker, on an export blacklist called the Entity List. The minimum wage cannot get its hands on American technology. And the United States has reportedly lobbied to prevent Dutch company ASML from delivering a key tool that could help the minimum wage catch up with rivals.

Since China does not have the companies that can design and manufacture the tools its chipmakers need, it relies on companies from other countries. This is something that China wants to change.

In its five-year plan, China says it will focus on research and development in integrated circuit design tools, key equipment and key materials.

Chips are extremely important because they go into many devices that we use, such as smartphones, but are also important for other industries.

China plans to research areas such as how to stop brain disease.

But he also says he plans to look into “brain-inspired computing” as well as “brain-computer fusion technology,” according to a CNBC translation. The five-year plan does not specify what that might look like.

However, this work is already underway in the United States at Elon Musk’s Neuralink company. Musk is working on implantable brain chip interfaces to connect humans and computers.

With the coronavirus outbreak last year, biotechnology has gained in importance.

China says it will focus on “innovative vaccines” and “biosafety research”.

China’s research will focus on understanding the progression of cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic disease.

The government also says it will research some “cutting edge” treatment technologies such as regenerative medicine. It involves drugs that can regrow or repair damaged cells, tissues, and organs.

China says it will also examine key technologies in the prevention and treatment of major communicable diseases.

Space exploration has recently been a top priority for China. Beijing said it will focus on research on “the origin and evolution of the universe,” the exploration of Mars as well as deep and polar sea research.

In December, a Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth carrying rocks from the moon. It was the first time China had launched a spacecraft from an alien body and the first time it had collected moon samples.

And in July, China launched a mission to Mars called Tianwen -1.

– CNBC’s Iris Wang contributed to this report.