China's 15th Five-Year Plan Kicks Off with Shanghai's Focus on Future Industries

The 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, opened its fourth session today at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, setting the stage for the country's 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑2030).

The coming half‑decade represents a critical window for China — and especially for Shanghai — to accelerate industrial upgrading and solidify competitive advantages in the technologies that will shape the global economy.

Future industries, ranging from quantum computing and brain‑computer interfaces to biomanufacturing and embodied AI, are seen not merely as emerging sectors, but as the bedrock of tomorrow's strategic and pillar industries. For Shanghai, the goal is clear: Leverage the city's integrated strengths in research, finance, trade, and advanced manufacturing to turn these fields into engines of high‑quality growth, Shanghai Radio Station reported today.

Zhang Fan, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and senior executive at China Electrical Equipment Group, pointed to the gap between data collection and usable intelligence in smart manufacturing.

"Without high‑quality, shareable industrial datasets, AI is like water without a source," Zhang noted, calling for unified standards and cross‑sector data‑sharing mechanisms.

In biomanufacturing — already a trillion‑yuan industry in China — CPPCC member Leng Weiqing warned of continued reliance on foreign core technologies such as specialized industrial microbial strains and bio‑design tools. Leng urged a "long‑termist" regulatory approach that allows space for trial and error, rather than short‑term returns.

Another proposal came from Ding Hong, a member of the CPPCC and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ding suggested Shanghai pilot "laboratory companies," hybrid R&D entities modeled on SpaceX or DeepMind, that could bridge the gap between fundamental research and commercial deployment, focusing on strategic breakthroughs rather than immediate profitability.

What sets Shanghai apart, delegates stressed, is its ability to marshal its "five centers" (economic, financial, trading, shipping, and scientific innovation) in a coordinated push. The city's dense manufacturing ecosystem, coupled with top universities and research institutes, provides a unique platform to move from catching up to leading.