China’s new 15th Five-Year Plan targets acceleration of scientific breakthroughs and economy-wide AI integration, prioritizing indigenized tech supremacy as a key national security goal. Premier Li Qiang cited challenges such as acute supply-demand imbalances, property sector instability, and high local debt risks as reasons for China’s historically low goal of 4.5-5% GDP growth for 2026. Detailed in the plan are developments in:

Critical Minerals

• China highlighted its rare earth dominance, vowing to sustain leadership and modernize the sector while tightening the export controls the CCP has used to disrupt overseas mineral supplies.
  • Clean energy expansion effort meant to increase copper and aluminum demand via grid projects. Due to China remaining import-dependence on copper and iron ore, Beijing targets more domestic mining.
  • Beijing recommitted - yet again - to curbing overcapacity in steel, petrochemicals, and copper smelting without output cuts or targets.

Energy

• Domestic oil output holds at 200 million tons/year, with gas production and oil stockpiles rising.
• Reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels by increasing alternate fuel sources in the total share of energy consumption.

Agriculture

• Beijing announces grain output targets of 725 million metric tons by 2030 via tech and yield efficiencies, as farmland shrinks.
• China also plans to secure more overseas food imports while regulating hog overcapacity and aiding dairy/beef industries behind tariffs.
• Initial report calls for strengthening “supply guarantees for grain and other important agricultural products,” improving agricultural productivity, and building a “diversified food supply system. Beijing also stresses “absolute security” in staple foods.

Artificial Intelligence

• Plan prominently features an “AI+” action to rapidly integrate AI across industry, governance, culture, and social services, with a goal to dominate AI industry applications globally.
• China explains AI governance as needed for a “beneficial, safe, and fair” environment.

Advanced/Emerging Technologies (including quantum)

• Specific technologies like quantum and semiconductors aren’t specifically named in the Working Report summary, but there are repeated descriptions of “strategic frontier technology” and plans to tackle and develop “key core technologies,” and “new quality productive forces”. This is standard Chinese policy language to include areas like semiconductors and quantum.