BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party said Thursday it will focus on speeding up self-reliance in science and technology, a long-running push that has become more pronounced as the U.S. has imposed increasingly tight controls on its access to semiconductors and other high-tech items.
The announcement by the state media came in a communique after a four-day meeting that approved a draft of the party’s next five-year development plan.
China faces “profound and complex” changes and rising uncertainty, it said. The communique did not directly mention the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump. China’s leader Xi Jinping is expected to meet Trump for talks in South Korea next week.
The statement signaled the government is confident it can counter external threats with domestic policy tools, said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis, a French investment bank.
“It means China will likely demand more from the U.S. to reach a deal, if one is to be reached,” he said.
Ng said that compared to the previous plan five years ago, the government is deepening its push for technological self-sufficiency, income redistribution and a transition to clean energy.
The communique also announced a replacement for China’s second-highest-ranking general.
Zhang Shengmin was named vice chair of the Central Military Commission after his predecessor was expelled along with eight other senior military officials from the Communist Party late last week.
Zhang was already member of the commission and holds the rank of general in the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force.
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