A Translation Snapshot briefly describes a group of CSET-produced translations that share a common theme. This Snapshot summarizes CSET’s most noteworthy translations—as of October 11, 2022—of Chinese technology strategies. Chief among them is the 14th Five-Year Plan, which guides China’s overall economic policy through 2025 and includes many objectives for the tech sector. Two earlier strategies, the Innovation-Driven Development Strategy and Made in China 2025, remain highly influential, particularly for Chinese tech industries. Three five-year plan spin-offs focused on different tech sectors round out this collection.
Each entry below includes a hyperlink to the relevant original translation by CSET, as well as a short summary of its subject matter. Click on the hyperlinks to view the full text of each translation as well as additional contextual information about each one.
中华人民共和国国民经济和社会发展第十四个五年规划和2035年远景目标纲要
Published in Chinese March 12, 2021 | Translated by CSET May 12, 2021
The 14th Five-Year Plan is China’s comprehensive near-term development strategy, covering the years 2021–2025. Notably, the plan calls for advances in seven cutting-edge science and technology (S&T) fields: artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, semiconductors, brain-inspired technologies, genetics and biotech, clinical medicine and health, and “deep space, deep earth, deep sea, and polar exploration.” The 14th Five-Year Plan differs from past plans in that it also includes a short section on “long-range objectives” for 2035. Although this document is labeled an “outline” of the Five-Year Plan, it is in fact the most complete version of the plan China has made public.
Outline of the National Innovation-Driven Development Strategy
国家创新驱动发展战略纲要
Published in Chinese May 19, 2016 | Translated by CSET December 11, 2019
The National Innovation-Driven Development Strategy identifies industries that China feels would most benefit from increased indigenous innovation. But its focus is not completely domestic, as it also advocates making China a more tempting destination for foreign S&T talent. The strategy outlines the steps China should take to transition from playing technological catch-up to being one of the world’s most innovative countries by 2030.
中国制造2025
Published in Chinese May 8, 2015 | Translated by CSET March 8, 2022
The Made in China 2025 strategy aims to increase the Chinese manufacturing industry’s competitiveness and global market and to reduce China’s dependence on foreign manufactured goods. It identifies 10 of China’s most critical technological manufacturing sectors: information technology (IT), high-end computer numerical control (CNC) machines and robots, aerospace, marine engineering, advanced rail, fuel-efficient and new energy vehicles, power generation, agricultural machinery, new materials, and biotech and medical devices.
14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Big Data Industry
“十四五”大数据产业发展规划
Published in Chinese November 15, 2021 | Translated by CSET February 4, 2022
This spinoff of the 14th Five-Year Plan describes China’s strategy for the growth of its big data industry through 2025. Although the big data plan includes very few quantitative targets for the sector, it does qualitatively describe the Communist Party’s near-term vision for China’s big data industry, which involves both making big data more broadly accessible and improving data security.
National 13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Strategic Emerging Industries
“十三五”国家战略性新兴产业发展规划
Published in Chinese November 29, 2016 | Translated by CSET December 9, 2019
An add-on to China’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), this strategy describes in great detail the Chinese government’s industrial development strategy for emerging technology. It defines a vast array of new technologies as “strategic” and in many cases sets quantifiable goalposts for the growth of certain high-tech industries. An appendix identifies the specific Chinese ministries responsible for carrying out this plan for each type of emerging technology. CSET has not yet observed a comparable plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025).
National 13th Five-Year Plan for S&T Innovation
“十三五”国家科技创新规划
Published in Chinese July 28, 2016 | Translated by CSET January 8, 2020
This strategy for enhancing China’s innovation ecosystem is also an extension of 2016’s 13th Five-Year Plan. Its first half details many of the specific technologies the Chinese government identifies as near-term priorities for research and investment. The second half discusses proposed changes to China’s S&T innovation infrastructure in areas such as S&T planning, infrastructure, organization, and investment. CSET has not yet observed a comparable plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
To browse through CSET’s catalog of translations, visit the translation page on our website. If you don’t find the translation you’re looking for, you can request it through CSET’s translation request form. Please direct translation-related feedback to CSET Translation Manager Ben Murphy (email: ben.murphy@georgetown.edu; Twitter: @benm_translator).