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China and ASEAN, with geographical proximity and complementary industrial strengths, are well-positioned to deepen cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, green technology and biomedicine, experts and business leaders said.
Their comments came at the ASEAN Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum held in Beijing recently as part of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum, where participants discussed ways to strengthen cross-border innovation collaboration.
Organized in line with the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030), the forum underscored the need for closer coordination in innovation, industry and finance to foster a more integrated cross-border innovation ecosystem.
Several practical outcomes were announced during the event. The International Cooperation Center of China's National Development and Reform Commission signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Zhongguancun Development Group to support enterprises in attracting overseas resources, expanding abroad, and promoting the integration of industrial and innovation chains.
Yang Renquan, general manager of Zhongguancun Development Group, said the company will leverage its strengths in resources and networks to help Chinese technology enterprises expand into ASEAN markets, connect with high-quality local resources and support the country's broader opening-up efforts.
An unveiling ceremony was also held for the ZGC AI Business International Service Hub (ASEAN), with CGS International Securities designated as the investment banking services institution. In addition, the "UOB Intellichain: The ASEAN Express" initiative was launched to provide one-stop financial services for Zhongguancun enterprises expanding into ASEAN.
Participants said such moves will help translate policy consensus into more tangible outcomes and inject fresh momentum into regional growth.
From robot vacuum cleaners to AI-generated content, frontier technologies have already woven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives. As AIGC lowers the cost and barriers to content creation, it will significantly reshape how people live and experience entertainment.
Step inside the "birthplace" of humanoid robots at the Robotics Pilot Testing and Validation Platform of Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robotics and discover how AI ecosystems are powering real business growth at "Magic World" Beijing AI New Quality Industry Community in Beijing E-Town.
The city's high-tech scene is buzzing as the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum gets underway — bringing innovation, talent, and the future together in one place.
On the afternoon of March 28, the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum (YID Forum) successfully convened at Zhongguancun International Innovation Center. Serving as an important session of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference, the YID Forum was co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee, Beijing Overseas Talents Center, Beijing Haidian District Committee of the Communist Party of China, Beijing Haidian District People's Government, and China Daily 21st Century Media. Co-initiated by global and domestic institutions in education, science and technology, and talent development, the forum serves as a dynamic global exchange and cooperation platform for young innovators. Distinguished guests in attendance included Xu Xiao, executive member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League and President of the All-China Youth Federation, Li Chenglin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Director of the Organization Department, and Yu Tao, vice-president of China International Communications Group. The landmark event drew a diverse audience of more than 500 attendees, including guests from relevant government departments and international organizations, alongside renowned scientists, entrepreneurs, scholars, foreign experts, and a vibrant community of Chinese and foreign youth.
A global talent hub, an open invitation
Chinese and foreign youth representatives issued a compelling invitation to global talents: Gather in Beijing, Create the Future. Zhang Linfeng, founder and chief scientist of DP Technology and winner of the 2024 Beijing Science and Technology Award - Zhongguancun Award for Outstanding Young Scientists, noted that Beijing not only provides a top-tier research environment but also instills young innovators with profound confidence. He emphasized that the city boasts a dense concentration of top talents, a comprehensive industrial ecosystem, and full-cycle policy support for startups — from their early stages to mature growth. This includes robust, all-encompassing resources such as funding support, talent apartments, and dedicated entrepreneurship stewardship services. Highlighting this ecosystem, he shared that DP Technology's inaugural startup funding came directly from Beijing's Zhongguancun Disruptive Technology R&D and Commercialization Program, even before its angel round of financing.
Li Ying, principal investigator at the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing (CIBR Beijing), and member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation, said that stepping into the building of CIBR headquarters feels like entering a "mini United Nations". Here, more than 30 international young scientists, researchers of diverse ethnic backgrounds, and clinical doctors operate free from rigid rules and traditional staffing limitations. Instead, they enjoy absolute academic freedom, and are encouraged to explore boldly and creatively. She added that the open and inclusive atmosphere at research institutions like CIBR Beijing perfectly epitomizes the exceptional innovation and entrepreneurship environment across Beijing.
Erik Nilsson, an American journalist with China Daily and the winner of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, shared his recent experience in Beijing E-Town, where he danced, shot baskets, and even practiced sanda strikes alongside robots. He expressed that he discovered a brand-new Beijing — one that is not just moving toward the future, but has already arrived in it. Being an entrepreneur in this city and in this era is, as he described, profoundly inspiring. Beijing is uniquely open and inclusive, offering young people a wealth of advantages and conveniences, ranging from entrepreneurship incubators to the 12345 citizen service hotline.
Song Yachen, founder and CEO of VAST and a winner of the 2025 ZGC U30 program, recalled that as a child he struggled to depict the world in his mind. Today, by pioneering a business in AI 3D technology, he hopes to equip his young peers with a magic brush. He stated that Beijing offers the premier environment in the world to turn such ambitious sci-fi dreams into reality, as the city is deeply committed to supporting and funding visionary ideas. "For those who hold an uncharted world in their minds, Beijing welcomes you to pursue entrepreneurship here", he said. "With a host of dedicated practitioners safeguarding the innovation ecosystem, we can confidently wield our magic brushes on this promising land and translate imagination into tangible reality."
A new generation of youth forging ahead
At the Forum, the highly anticipated list of 2025 ZGC U30 winners was officially announced, spotlighting 30 exceptional young entrepreneurs in cutting-edge fields. Among them, 96.7 percent focus on strategic emerging and future industries such as artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, biomedicine, and brain science. Aiming for domestic substitution, industrial disruption, and the pioneering of new tracks, they demonstrate distinctive strengths: high starting points, strong technological capabilities, and rapid trajectories of growth. Building on this momentum, the recruitment and selection process for the 2026 ZGC U30 program was launched simultaneously and will continue to align with the strategic development layout of high-end, precision, and cutting-edge industries, seeking to identify young sci-tech innovation "breakthrough pioneers" under the age of 35. By targeting individuals with outstanding innovation capabilities, robust technical strength, and the courage to explore and experiment, the initiative aims to build a higher-quality development platform for the next generation of young entrepreneurs.
Launched in 2015, ZGC U30 is co-hosted by the Science and Technology Communication Center of the China Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee, the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, and Beijing Haidian District People's Government. True to its core mission of identifying young entrepreneurial talents with the potential to change the world, the initiative has nurtured young sci-tech innovators for 11 consecutive years, successfully cultivating a vibrant, multi-supportive "rainforest ecosystem" for youth innovation and entrepreneurship.
Empowered by Beijing's robust policies for young talents to start businesses and innovate, 309 winners from China and overseas have thrived within this ecosystem. To date, the program has evaluated nearly 7,000 young sci-tech talents and ultimately selected 309 winners from China and overseas. Remarkably, it has fostered two listed companies and more than 90 "Specialized, Sophisticated, Unique and New" enterprises, solidifying its status as a premier platform for cultivating young sci-tech leading talents and accelerating hard-tech entrepreneurship.
Yu Hao, a representative of the initiators of ZGC U30 and CEO of Legend Holdings Corporation, stated that young sci-tech entrepreneurs are facing unprecedented and sharply defined opportunities in this era. He expressed his hope that the new generation of young innovators will focus on major national strategic needs, strive to break through key bottleneck technologies, and bravely explore basic research alongside the frontiers of hard technology. "Through relentless innovation and hard work, they should shoulder the historic mission of achieving self-reliance and strength in science and technology," he said.
An innovation link, a global drive
GNIS officially launched a video release detailing its dual-track development services for overseas and foreign young talent coming to Beijing, covering both scientific research and industrial development. The release showcases the "18311" support system. This robust framework consists of one?stop services for talent teams, support from innovation and entrepreneurship parks, project implementation, and strategic pathways for enterprise globalization.
Professor Dr Omer Sahin Ganiyusufoglu, member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (Acatech), shared his firsthand experience of establishing partnerships with Beijing-based universities and tech enterprises through GNIS. He further expressed his unwavering commitment to Sino?European innovation cooperation among young talents, aiming to jointly drive industrial and technological transformation.
The Forum also marked the launch of the China-Europe Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Talent, initiated by the Beijing International Human Capital Group Co Ltd. Focused on Beijing's key industrial sectors, the Center will serve as a public platform for talent, technology, and project exchanges between China and Europe. Its ultimate goal is to become a premier hub for training and gathering outstanding engineers and a dynamic base for technical exchanges.
Starting from Chaoyang district, Shunyi district, and the Beijing Economic?Technological Development Area (BDA), the Center will forge deep connections with leading European innovation institutions such as the Fraunhofer?Gesellschaft and Technical University of Denmark. It will explore diverse cooperation models, including joint talent training, mutual recognition of qualification standards, and collaborative R&D projects. To ensure their success, Beijing will provide substantial policy support for related initiatives, such as designating them as demonstration projects for high?caliber talent hub development.
Talent gathers in Beijing, youth creates the future
To address key challenges young talents face when building their careers — such as high housing costs and complexities in securing household registration (hukou) — Haidian district, Changping district, and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) have piloted the construction of youth innovation and entrepreneurship ecological demonstration zones, under the guidance of the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau. By integrating regional resources, these zones have rolled out a comprehensive suite of supportive measures, including housing subsidies and rent-free workspaces. In conjunction with municipal departments including the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, 24 targeted policies were issued to bolster this initiative. This collaborative effort has systematically established a universal policy framework, anchored by the "Ten Policies for Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Beijing". Over the past year, the development of these demonstration zones has yielded a series of tangible achievements, delivering youth apartments, dedicated start-up spaces, and vibrant neighborhoods that currently serve over 180,000 young talents.
Looking ahead, Beijing will develop 30,000 sets (rooms) of youth talent apartments featuring comprehensive supporting amenities strategically located along the subway lines. The city will also construct 3 million square meters of youth innovation spaces, assemble a team of 3,000 service managers, and establish 20 youth talent vitality districts alongside a series of networking salons. Furthermore, the municipality will grant priority processing for household registration and work residence permits, backed by a 30-billion-yuan ($4.34 billion) development fund. These concerted efforts are designed to build a highly youth-friendly policy ecosystem, fully unleashing the innovative and creative vitality of the next generation.
To build a stage for outstanding young minds from around the world to pursue their dreams, the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, in conjunction with the Beijing Municipal United Front Work Department, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, the Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee, and the Beijing Overseas Talents Center, has jointly unveiled the World Youth Talent Empowerment Program. This initiative introduces five major "Beijing Tour" brand projects: the Beijing Tour for Overseas Talents, the Beijing Tour for Young Scientists, the Beijing Tour for Overseas PhDs, the Beijing Tour for Overseas Returnees, and the Beijing Tour for International Students in Beijing. Each year, these programs aim to attract over 30,000 outstanding young talents from home and abroad to visit, exchange ideas, intern, practice, and launch businesses in Beijing. Beijing extends a sincere invitation to young talents worldwide to keep their appointment with the city, to write a glorious chapter of their youth and to create a brilliant future together on this land of opportunity!
Discovering innovative talents, empowering future development
The Forum marked the release of the Global Youth Science and Technology Innovation Development Report 2026, authored by the research group at the Institute of Area Studies of Peking University. The report focuses on building an "Innovative Talent Discovery Mechanism" and establishing a robust service network to support the innovative development of new-quality talent. It conducts an in-depth analysis of global best practices in scientific and technological innovation and new-quality talent cultivation in major innovative cities worldwide, while exploring pioneering models for the discovery and cultivation of international young visionaries.
Beijing is continuously refining its exemplary ecosystem for innovation-driven development, and striving to build a thriving hub where young professionals can live comfortably, work efficiently, and seamlessly fulfill their aspirations. The Forum will establish a more diverse exchange platform for the cooperation and development of global youth, paving a broader path for young talents to pursue their dreams through innovation and entrepreneurship. We hope to see young talents harness the wisdom and perseverance of youth to scale new heights in science and technology, dedicating themselves to strategic emerging and future industries, and writing a splendid chapter of youth that defines our era.
As China continues to make breakthroughs in frontier technologies, its high-quality development is moving beyond traditional measures of scale and growth toward making more tangible improvements in people's everyday lives, experts and industry leaders said during this year's Zhongguancun Forum, which concluded on Sunday in Beijing.
A number of major technological achievements unveiled during the forum offered more than a glimpse of scientific progress — they served as a preview of future lifestyles, showing how innovation is steadily moving from laboratories into real-world applications and reshaping how people live, work and interact, they said.
Their remarks came as 21 major scientific and technological achievements of China were released during the forum's closing news conference on Sunday, spanning key areas from frontier science and industry upgrade to public health and human sustainable development.
"Technological innovation does not stop in the laboratory; it must take root in production lines and in real-world applications," said Zhang Dongling, an official from the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission.
Zhang noted that the latest breakthroughs highlight a clear push to integrate technological and industrial innovation, accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.
Among the highlights from the field of public health was the Bei-nao-1 semi-invasive brain-computer interface system. Implanting microelectrodes and a coin-sized device on the brain surface can help paralyzed patients to control exoskeletons for movement, or help those with speech impairments regain the ability to speak, the official said.
In another brain science breakthrough, a research team from Changping Laboratory in Beijing has, for the first time globally, identified the core pathological circuit of Parkinson's disease. The discovery is expected to pave the way for more effective and affordable therapies for over 5 million Parkinson's patients in China.
"We have developed a personalized, precise and noninvasive neuromodulation solution that can deliver effective treatment with higher patient acceptance," said Liu Hesheng, chief scientist of the brain and neurodegenerative diseases department at Changping Laboratory.
"More important, this framework could also be extended to treat other brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, depression and autism, offering broad application prospects," Liu added.
Beyond healthcare, the forum also showcased a range of technologies closely tied to everyday life, showing how cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are lowering barriers to creativity and accessibility.
"If traditional music platforms connect songs, artists and audiences, AI-driven platforms will connect creativity, content generation, editing, distribution and expression," said Cheng Yu, chief scientist at domestic AI tech firm Kunlun Tech.
"With AI technologies, we hope to turn music from a professional skill into a language of expression for everyone," Cheng said, adding that Kunlun Tech unveiled a new suite of AI generated content models covering gaming, video and music during the forum, aiming to lower the cost of content creation and enable broader participation.
AI-powered smart glasses deployed at the forum further illustrated how innovation is enhancing real-world interactions. Developed by Beijing-based LLVISION, an AI and artificial reality technology company focused on smart glasses, the system supports real-time translation in 54 languages with less than one-second latency and up to eight hours of battery life.
In fact, the glasses are designed not only to enhance conference interpretation, but also to advance global accessibility by supporting users with hearing impairments.
For instance, in noisy environments, features such as intelligent sound recognition and name-based activation allow the device to alert users when their names are called, making it easier for hearing-impaired individuals to navigate public settings such as hospitals and government service counters, said Wu Fei, founder and CEO of LLVISION.
"We aim to bridge communication gaps caused by speech barriers and improve accessibility through cutting-edge technologies," Wu added. "They can also help reinforce professional support for the hearing impaired in public services."
Dai Xin, vice-dean of the Law School at Peking University, said: "China's approach to AI development is people-centered and application-driven. The focus is on delivering tangible gains, so that people can truly feel the real value of technological progress."
At the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, Chinese and international guests highlighted China's commitment to openness and forward-looking innovation, which is providing a stabilizing force and creating opportunities for global development.
On March 29, the General Artificial Intelligence Forum of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum was held in Beijing, unveiling a series of groundbreaking achievements in China's general AI development. After the forum, Dong Le, the executive vice-president of the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, shared her insights on China's responsibility and vision in global AI governance. Click the video to learn more.
Beijing is positioning itself as a global hub for youth innovation and entrepreneurship, supported by a strong concentration of top-tier talent, a comprehensive industrial ecosystem, and robust policy and financial backing, participants said at the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum held on Saturday.
The forum, a parallel session of the 2026 ZGC Forum Annual Conference, brought together more than 500 attendees, including renowned scientists, entrepreneurs, and young innovators from China and abroad, serving as a platform for global talent to exchange ideas and expand collaboration.
Beijing offers an unparalleled density of talent and a world-class research environment, Zhang Linfeng, founder and chief scientist of DP Technology, a Beijing-based unicorn AI-for-Science company, said.
"For AI development, computing power is critical, and Beijing's intelligent computing resources provide essential support. For scientific research, the city's talent programs and policies ensure that top minds can thrive," Zhang said.
The forum unveiled the 2025 ZGC U30 Winners List, recognizing 30 young entrepreneurs in cutting-edge fields with an average age of 29. Nearly 97 percent of the winners are from strategic emerging industries, including biomedicine, brain science, artificial intelligence, and humanoid robotics.
Launched in 2015, the Zhongguancun U30 initiative aims to nurture young leaders in science and technology and support hard-tech entrepreneurship. To date, it has identified nearly 7,000 young innovators, selected 309 winners globally, and helped foster two publicly listed companies and more than 90 specialized enterprises.
"Beijing is a city willing to invest in imagination," Song Yachen, a 2025 U30 winner and founder and CEO of VAST, a generative 3D company, said.
"Comprehensive support from municipal and district authorities — from residency facilitation to talent development — has helped attract and retain top talent. Financial support and computing subsidies have directly fueled our model training. They are not just administrators, but partners who truly understand our needs."
The forum also introduced Beijing's efforts to build a comprehensive innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for young talent, with targeted measures to ease key challenges such as housing affordability and residency access. Going forward, Beijing will provide 30,000 housing units, 3 million square meters of innovation space, and a dedicated service team of 3,000 personnel for young professionals. In addition, a 30 billion yuan ($4.34 billion) development fund will be established to further support youth innovation and entrepreneurship.
A global youth talent empowerment program was also launched, featuring five "Beijing Tour" flagship projects that are expected to attract over 30,000 young participants annually for exchanges, internships, and entrepreneurial ventures in Beijing.
The forum also released the Global Youth Science and Technology Innovation Development Report 2026, conducted by a research team from Peking University's Institute of Area Studies. The report highlights the need to establish mechanisms for identifying and nurturing innovative talent and examines best practices from leading global innovation centers.
In addition, the event marked the launch of the China-Europe Center for Advanced Engineering Technology Talent, which aims to build a public platform for collaboration in talent, technology, and projects between China and Europe, supporting Beijing's key industries while fostering the development of world-class engineers and promoting international technological exchange.
Experts at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing have emphasized the crucial role of cutting-edge technologies in supporting people with disabilities, calling for the development of a more inclusive society that effectively addresses the daily needs of this vulnerable group.
They made the remarks at a sub-forum on Friday on the sidelines of the ZGC forum, one of China's key platforms for international technology exchange, which kicked off on Wednesday and will run through Sunday.
Luo Minmin, co-director of the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, outlined how brain-computer interface technology can support people with disabilities, saying that the choice of the technology depends on different requirements.
"For fine motor control, invasive and fully implanted products with high performance represent the ultimate trend, while non-invasive devices may be sufficient for simple motion tasks," he said, adding that planned clinical trials for their products are moving forward.
The research currently focuses on aiding individuals with severe motor impairments, such as high-level paralysis. "We are confident that our work will benefit many people," Luo said.
Song Wenhui, a professor of biomaterials and medical engineering at University College London, leads a team focused on developing an advanced hearing system. She stated, "The breakthrough of this system lies in its materials, which enable the device to capture a wider range of sound signals and significantly enhance sound quality."
"We believe this technology could eventually help a wide range of people with hearing disability, from children to adults and the elderly," she added.
Liu Lijun, deputy director of the planning and finance department with the China Disabled Persons' Federation, said the federation will strengthen research on basic and cutting-edge technologies in the field of disability assistance.
"We will advance research in key fields such as artificial intelligence and brain-computer interface, with a focus on addressing the daily needs of persons with disabilities. This includes enhancing the development of products like bionic prosthetics and intelligent navigation aids for the visually impaired," she said.
Global AI scientists and entrepreneurs are set to gather for AI Day, which is due to open on Friday during the ongoing Zhongguancun Forum, one of China's premier science and technology symposiums.
They will witness a demonstration of the open source AI achievements made by the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence and the inauguration of an alliance gathering Beijing and global players in the field, according to a news conference on Wednesday.
An AI innovation corridor in Haidian district, Beijing, home to the country's AI giants, will be promoted during the event in a bid to vie for global investors.
Built by Haidian district on the site of the century-old Jingzhang Railway, the Jingzhang Heritage Park AI Innovation Belt stretches 9 kilometers as a green axis for AI innovation. It is positioned as a triple zone: a cultural corridor showcasing the century-old Jingzhang heritage, an AI integration and innovation hub, and an urban AI lifestyle experience area. It aims to create a full AI ecosystem covering research, commercialization, and real-world applications.
BEIJING - The 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) will spotlight the theme of "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation," an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Wednesday.
This year's ZGC Forum will be held in Beijing from March 25 to 29. More than 1,000 guests from over 100 countries and regions are expected to participate in the forum, which features more than 100 events, Lin Xin, vice-minister of science and technology, said at a press conference.
Main events will include the opening ceremony and plenary session, parallel forums, achievement releases, the ZGC International Technology Trade Fair, and the Grand Final of the Zhongguancun International Advanced Technology Innovation Competition.
The 2026 forum will be characterized by four distinctive features. Firstly, it will emphasize the expansion of the capital city's efforts to become an international science and technology innovation center by holding forums and releasing relevant policies for deepening coordination among Beijing, Tianjin municipality and Hebei province, all located in North China, Lin said.
Lin also noted that it will stress the deep integration of technological innovation with industrial innovation by focusing on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapy.
The integrated advancement of education, science and technology, and talent cultivation will also be a key characteristic of the 2026 forum, according to Lin.
Additionally, this year's forum will emphasize high-level scientific and technological openness and cooperation, she added.
"The promotion of extensive artificial intelligence (AI) applications will also be highlighted at this year's ZGC Forum," said Jin Wei, vice mayor of Beijing, at the press conference.
Jin added that participants at the forum will experience firsthand how the AI evolution is empowering diverse industries. For instance, AI "interpreters" will be on duty during the forum, expanding language services from the previous two languages of Chinese and English to eight languages, including French, Russian and Spanish.
"Thereby, they can sustain seamless communication among participants from around the world," he said.
Jin disclosed that a robot cafe will cater to forum participants. "Last year, robots at the forum could only prepare coffee individually. This year, they will collaborate to provide meal sets. Additionally, a robot band will deliver captivating performances at this year's forum."
The 2026 forum is jointly organized by several Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Founded in 2007, this forum in Beijing has evolved into a global, comprehensive, open and high-level international event for enhancing global innovation in science and technology.
What if we viewed the 2026 ZGC Forum through a lens of color? Here, colorful innovations thrive not just in the exhibition hall but in everyday life. As 2026 marks the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, this gathering is painting a vivid picture of China's commitment to high-quality development.
The Chinese Academy of Engineering released a report on the 2025 Global Engineering Fronts at the opening ceremony of the ongoing 2026 Zhongguancun Annual Forum, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday, highlighting the importance of artificial intelligence in driving a leap forward in the field.
The report, published annually since 2017, aims to provide insights for academic research, industrial development and policymaking. Based on an analysis of multisource data, including high-impact papers, patents and science news, this year's report identified 94 engineering research fronts and 95 engineering development fronts. Among them, 74 are closely related to AI.
These include leaps in energy material performance and shortened research and development cycles, supported by big data analysis, intelligent design and high-throughput automated experiments. In addition, research on multi-agent construction and collaborative technologies is gaining traction, leading the transition of AI from single-agent to system intelligence.
The report underscored the growing integration of AI with engineering, advancing engineering practices into a new phase characterized by automation, systematization and intelligence. This development leads to fundamental improvements in engineering efficiency and quality, as well as an enhanced ability to address complex problems.
Yang Baofeng, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Harbin Medical University in Heilongjiang province, described AI as "a powerful assistant" in engineering research, emphasizing its important roles in fields such as aerospace, bridge engineering and healthcare.
Yang noted that different AI large language models possess distinct strengths, such as information retrieval, chemical formula analysis and massive data processing, and that AI technology has significantly enhanced research efficiency.
However, he cautioned that AI still plays a supportive role — whether in clinical practice or cutting-edge medical research — emphasizing the importance of sustained laboratory experiments and interdisciplinary research teams.
Peter David Lund, a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and the Swedish Engineering Academy in Finland, pointed out that AI will play a key role in shaping the future of energy.
"Machine learning has helped solve highly complex problems, such as in smart grids and system sizing. More recently, we have also seen AI applied to plasma stabilization. In fact, AI has helped identify process parameters that keep plasma intact, supporting fusion power research," Lund said.
"These are just the first steps, yet AI has already enabled major achievements in energy. We believe AI will play an even more important role in the future," he added.
Lund expressed optimism about the development of better technologies in the future, highlighting the importance of transforming scientific and technological achievements.
"When we develop new technologies, let's keep in mind the application. The path to market is important already in the development phase," he added.
BEIJING -- The Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced on Wednesday that the three-satellite constellation based on the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) in the Earth-moon space has been operating in orbit for two years, providing a foundation for future lunar exploration.
The announcement was made at the SciTech Forum on the Development and Utilization of Earth-Moon Space, a sub-forum of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum), which kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday.
This constellation project successfully completed the world's first low-energy insertion into the DRO. DRO-A and DRO-B, two satellites developed by the CAS and deployed in the DRO, have established inter-satellite measurement and communication links with DRO-L, a previously launched near-Earth orbit satellite.
The DRO is a highly stable orbit located in the Earth-moon space, which refers to the region extending outward from near-Earth and near-lunar orbits to a distance of up to 2 million kilometers from Earth.
According to the CSU, the project has verified stable residency and low-energy maneuvering of spacecraft in the DRO. The project became the first to tour all Lagrange points in the Earth-moon space in a single flight, and its technologies are expected to play an important role in future lunar exploration.
The forum brought together more than 200 representatives from over 20 institutions. Discussions focused on key issues such as Earth-moon space infrastructure, low-cost access to the Earth-moon space, and sustainable resource utilization.
Ding Chibiao, vice-president of the CAS, said the Earth-moon space is a strategic hub connecting Earth to deep space and a new frontier for scientific and industrial transformation.
Ding added that the CAS will continue to strengthen cooperation with research institutions, universities and companies to support China's goal of becoming a space power.
Hou Junshu, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, said in his speech that global space activities are shifting from pure exploration to a balance of exploration and utilization.
Hou noted that Beijing is home to more than half of the country's core space research units and is building itself into a hub for commercial aerospace innovation. He called for stronger innovation, deeper integration between technology and industry, and more open international cooperation.
The 2026 ZGC Forum, running in Beijing through Sunday, is focused on the theme of "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation." Since its founding in 2007, this forum has become a major international event for advancing science and technology innovation.
BEIJING -- China will provide global researchers with access to ten of its major scientific research facilities this year, as announced during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference held in Beijing on Wednesday.
These installations will include some of China's most advanced scientific research platforms, including the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) located in Southwest China's Guizhou province, the Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, and the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak in Anhui province in East China.
According to the announcement, this move aims to further advance the Action Plan for International Cooperation in Open Science, a project initiated by China and global partners in 2025 to foster an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory global environment for scientific and technological development.
China is driving its technological innovations through high-level international cooperation. The outline of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development, released earlier this month, proposes fostering an open and innovative ecosystem with global competitiveness, and supporting joint efforts by scientists from around the world to tackle fundamental and frontier scientific challenges.
China's push into artificial intelligence is entering a new phase, with leading developers seeking not just to compete globally but to reshape how the technology is built, shared and monetized, a prominent AI firm founder said in an interview with China Daily during the ongoing Zhongguancun Forum on Wednesday.
Yang Zhilin, the founder of Moonshot AI, an artificial intelligence company based in Beijing, also disclosed that Moonshot AI is exploring new ways to overhaul the core architecture of large models and suggest more "possibilities" in response to Elon Musk's praise of its attention residuals.
Yang said that Chinese firms are increasingly positioning themselves as drivers of structural change in the AI ecosystem — a shift he described as both an opportunity and a defining strategy for China.
"China's willingness to openly share models and technical breakthroughs could accelerate global innovation while giving it a distinct edge over more closed ecosystems."
Yang argued that as large models approach parity in performance, competitive advantage will shift from algorithms to infrastructure — particularly the ability to generate and process vast volumes of "tokens", the basic units of AI computation.
"In the long run, the bottleneck may no longer be model capability, but how quickly you can build large-scale 'token factories'," he said, pointing to energy costs and computing infrastructure as decisive factors.
Yang predicted that if open-source and proprietary models reach similar levels of capability, open systems could ultimately dominate by unlocking broader ecosystems of developers, applications and distribution channels.
Closed models currently retain a share of the market, he said, but open-source platforms may generate greater overall "token output" — and therefore greater economic value — by enabling more participants to build on top of them.
In one of his more striking assertions, Yang suggested that AI-generated tokens could become a proxy for economic activity, potentially redefining traditional measures such as GDP.
"As productivity increasingly comes from AI agents generating tokens, those tokens could, in effect, become equivalent to GDP," he said, adding that the technology could multiply economic output by several times — or even orders of magnitude — over the long term
Earlier this month, Elon Musk commented "impressive work from Kimi" on X, highlighting a major breakthrough by Moonshot AI, Kimi's developer, on "attention residuals", a novel improvement to the Transformer architecture that enhances training efficiency and model performance at scale.
In response, Yang said the new approach introduces a different way of organizing computation models from Transformer architecture, the dominant framework behind today's large language models.
The idea, he said, is to rethink how operations are distributed across a model's internal dimensions.
"Structures that can be applied along the time dimension can also be applied along the depth dimension," Yang said, describing the conceptual shift behind "attention residuals".
By reconfiguring how information flows through layers, the approach has delivered measurable improvements in training efficiency and model performance, according to Yang, though he did not disclose detailed benchmarks.
Despite the widespread adoption of Transformers and standard optimization techniques over the past decade, Yang argued that the field is still open to disruption.
"Standards have formed, but within those standards there is still a lot that can be overturned. I think there are still many possibilities," he said.
Yang also pointed to China's education system as a foundational strength, citing decades of investment from primary schooling to doctoral training that have produced a large pool of technically skilled workers.
The scale of that pipeline, he said, allows companies to access high-level talent at relatively competitive cost, creating a feedback loop in which human expertise accelerates the development of machine intelligence.
chengyu@chinadaily.com.cn
The National Natural Science Foundation of China?(NSFC) announced the country's top 10 scientific advancements for 2025 during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, recognizing the progress in basic research.
The advancements include the discovery of lunar farside basalts originating from an extremely depleted mantle source, revealing that giant impact events may have triggered melt extraction from the lunar mantle. Based on the first-ever lunar farside samples brought back by the Chang'e 6 mission, Chinese scientists have provided key evidence for understanding the moon's hemispheric dichotomy.
Last year, a Chinese research team reported the world's first case of transplanting a gene-edited pig liver into a human body, overcoming key barriers regarding immune rejection and functional compatibility in xenotransplantation. This breakthrough provided critical data and technology for clinical translation.
Other recognized advancements include progress in critical areas such as material sciences, controllable nuclear fusion, deep-sea exploration, chipmaking and solar cells.
Dou Xiankang, director of NSFC, said the selection, held annually since 2005, aims to encourage researchers to overcome bottlenecks and produce more original achievements in basic research, while fostering public understanding, attention, and support for the field.
The advancements for 2025 were selected from more than 600 basic research projects through expert screening, real-name online voting, and committee deliberation — a process that fully demonstrates transparency and broad participation.
Global collaboration and the increased openness of China's scientific facilities and research achievements will be key themes at the upcoming Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, the country's premier science and technology event.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Lin Xin, vice-minister of science and technology, said the forum will highlight Beijing's evolving role — from serving as an international science and technology innovation center to anchoring a broader Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei innovation hub aimed at fostering deeper industrial collaboration across the region.
The forum, scheduled to take place from March 25 to 29, will feature specialized sessions on cutting-edge fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces and cell and gene therapy.
China will also release its list of 10 major scientific advancements, along with an international cooperation action plan. To further promote the commercialization and application of scientific achievements, a series of events, including frontier technology competitions and technology trade conferences, will be held.
"Beijing has increased its investment in science and technology, allocating over 6 percent of government spending to foster industrial clusters with industrial output above 1 trillion yuan ($145.4 billion) in next-generation information technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and scientific services, advancing regional innovation," Jin Wei, vice-mayor of Beijing, said at the news conference.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), technology contract transactions from Beijing to Tianjin and Hebei province surpassed 320 billion yuan, a 1.7-fold increase from the previous five years.
"This reflects the accelerated transfer of innovative achievements to the region, enhancing its role as a science and technology innovation hub. Greater efforts are being devoted to building the hub into an international center," Jin added.
To date, the Huairou National Comprehensive Science Center in Beijing has developed 37 scientific facility platforms, with 29 already operational.
These platforms have collectively provided 1.77 million hours of shared machine time for global use, leading to 439 major scientific breakthroughs.
Ahead of the forum, Luo Minmin, director of the Chinese Institute for Brain Research in Beijing, emphasized the importance of global collaboration.
The institute will unveil the new Beinao-2 model at the forum. Luo noted that while the United States has a longer history in BCI research, Europe is making significant strides and China is focusing on developing invasive BCI technologies.
"Europe, the US and China should work together to create better products for society," Luo said, highlighting the technology's potential to aid those who are paralyzed or have suffered a stroke.
Duncan Ivison, president of the University of Manchester, signed agreements with Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing on Monday.
"We are particularly interested in collaborating with our Chinese partners on major global challenges, including climate change, clean energy technology and healthcare — addressing some of the toughest issues facing the world today."
The 2026 Zhongguancun Forum will spotlight the theme of full integration between technological and industrial innovation, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Wednesday.
This year's ZGC Forum will be held in Beijing from Wednesday to March 29. More than 1,000 guests from over 100 countries and regions are expected to participate in the forum, which features more than 100 events, Lin Xin, vice-minister of science and technology, said at a news conference.
The 2026 forum will be characterized by four distinctive features. First, it will emphasize the expansion of the capital city's efforts to become an international science and technology innovation center by holding forums and releasing relevant policies for deepening coordination among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, all located in North China, Lin said.
Lin also noted that it will emphasize the deep integration of technological innovation with industrial innovation by focusing on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapy.
The integrated advancement of education, science and technology, and talent cultivation will also be a key characteristic of the 2026 forum, according to Lin.
Additionally, this year's forum will emphasize high-level scientific and technological openness and cooperation, she added.
The 2026 forum is jointly organized by several Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Founded in 2007, the forum has evolved into a global, comprehensive, open and high-level international event for enhancing global innovation in science and technology.
Xinhua - China Daily
BEIJING -- The 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) will spotlight the theme of "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation," an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Wednesday.
This year's ZGC Forum will be held in Beijing from March 25 to 29. More than 1,000 guests from over 100 countries and regions are expected to participate in the forum, which features more than one hundred events, Lin Xin, vice-minister of science and technology, said at a press conference.
The 2026 forum will be characterized by four distinctive features. Firstly, it will emphasize the expansion of the capital city's efforts to become an international science and technology innovation center by holding forums and releasing relevant policies for deepening coordination among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, all located in North China, Lin said.
Lin also noted that it will emphasize the deep integration of technological innovation with industrial innovation by focusing on frontier fields such as 6G, brain-computer interfaces, and cell and gene therapy.
The integrated advancement of education, science and technology, and talent cultivation will also be a key characteristic of the 2026 forum, according to Lin.
Additionally, this year's forum will emphasize high-level scientific and technological openness and cooperation, she added.
The 2026 forum is jointly organized by several Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Founded in 2007, this forum in Beijing has evolved into a global, comprehensive, open and high-level international event for enhancing global innovation in science and technology.
