In addition to improving the New Style Whole-of-Nation System and ensuring the government plays its organizational role in tackling Key and Core Technology, it is also essential to emphasize the central role of enterprises in technological innovation.

“Digital China Construction Series (Lesson 9 of 13): Construct a Self-Reliant and Self-Strengthening Digital Technology Innovation System,” Beijing Party Member Education Network, April 11, 2025

On April 11, 2025, the Beijing Party Member Education Network released a remarkable 13-lesson educational series on China’s national digital strategy, Digital China. Designed as a foundational introduction, the course targets Party cadre and members and is intended to raise awareness, elevate political understanding, and standardize implementation.

Lesson Nine stresses that the Digital China strategy prioritizes capacity building through private innovation. The lesson also makes its central point unmistakably clear: mastering core digital technologies through private innovation is now essential to both economic development and national security.

On February 27, 2023, the Central Government replaced the original 2017 state-led capability-building “means” of Digital China, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industrial Ecosystem, with a far more expansive state-private collaborative concept: the Digital Technology Innovation System.

Credit to Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau at MERICS for his excellent analysis, historical context, and translation work on whole-of-nation innovation. I recommend reviewing his insights before starting Lesson Nine, which explores how Digital China‘s Digital Technology Innovation System aligns with this concept. See, Jeroen Groenewegen-Lau,  “Whole-of-nation innovation: Does China’s socialist system give it an edge in science and technology?” MERICS, March 5, 2024.

Private Innovation

The Party now views mastering core digital technologies through private innovation as essential to both economic development and national security. In this regard, the development of a self-reliant and self-empowering Digital Technology Innovation System is a central task. The Digital Technology Innovation System integrates market mechanisms with strong government coordination under socialist market conditions. Its goal is to mobilize national research institutes, top universities, and key private enterprises to address technology bottlenecks in strategic sectors.

The Old Industrial Ecosystem

In 2023, the development of a Digital Technology Innovation System replaced one of the original “means” of the Digital China strategy dating from 2017, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industrial Ecosystem. The ICT Industrial Ecosystem was a much narrower concept focused on the state-owned ICT sector. Compared to the “old” state-led “means” of an ICT ecosystem, the “new” state-coordinated “means” of an innovation ecosystem leverages both public and private capacities. The central concept is captured in the slogan: “strengthen overall planning, coordinate innovation” (加强统筹，协同创新).

The New Whole-of-Nation System

To reach these goals more broadly, the Party is refining the New Style Whole-of-Nation System for tackling Key and Core Technology. The integration of the Digital China strategy’s Digital Technology Innovation System with the New Style Whole-of-Nation System reflects a broader shift in China’s development model. The Party now envisions a Digital Technology Innovation System where strategic national goals are achieved through collaboration between the government, market, and society, underpinned by strong enterprise participation and a robust, evolving intellectual property framework.

A Series Roadmap

If you are new to Digital China, you may want to begin with my overview of the strategy and a shortlist of key concepts that cadre are expected to master. Both will help you navigate the lessons.

Let’s continue the series with Lesson Nine:

Each lesson’s web address is linked to its original Chinese-language title. Note: Some of these links may have security certificate issues. For your safety, I’ve also embedded a clean, archived copy of each video in the corresponding post. You can choose which version to view, but I recommend using the archived copy for a safer experience.

“Digital China Construction Series 9: Construct a Self-Reliant and Self-Strengthening Digital Technology Innovation System” (数字中国建设系列之九: 构筑自立自强的数字技术创新体系), Beijing Party Member Education Network (北京党员教育网), April 11, 2025

Archived Video

Speaker: Beijing Guoheng Zhilin Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. (北京国恒智林文化传播有限公司)

Length: 11:29

Synopsis: In the construction of Digital China, capacity building is the top priority. To strengthen the key capabilities of Digital China, one of the core tasks is to build a self-reliant and self-strengthening Digital Technology Innovation System. This includes improving the New Style Whole-of-Nation System to tackle Key and Core Technology under the conditions of a socialist market economy, accelerating the establishment of an enterprise-led Technology Innovation System, and enhancing intellectual property protection.

简介：在数字中国建设中，能力建设是重中之重。强化数字中国关键能力,核心之一是构筑自立自强的数字技术创新体系，包括健全社会主义市场经济条件下关键核心技术攻关新型举国体制，加快建立以企业为主体的技术创新体系，以及加强知识产权保护。

Terminology shortlist with footnoted definitions: Digital Technology Innovation System1 (数字技术创新体系), New Style Whole-of-Nation System2 (新型举国体制).

Video Transcript and Translation

Terminology shortlist and other key terms are highlighted in blue.

00:24

In the construction of Digital China, capacity building is the top priority. To strengthen the key capabilities of Digital China, one of the core tasks is to build a self-reliant and self-empowering Digital Technology Innovation System. Digital technology innovation refers to the Deep Fusion of digital technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things, and mobile Internet with the real economy.

在数字中国建设中，能力建设是重中之重。强化数字中国关键能力，核心之一是构筑自立自强的数字技术创新体系。数字技术创新是指人工智能、区块链、云计算、大数据、物联网、移动互联网等数字技术与实体经济深度融合。

00:51

This gives rise to new technologies, new products, new industries, new models, and new business forms. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that network and information technology is the field of technological innovation with the most concentrated global R&D investment, the most active innovation, the widest application, and the strongest driving and radiating effect. It is the competitive high ground of global technological innovation. We must grasp the ‘bull’s nose’ of independent innovation in Key and Core Digital Technology.

从而催生出新技术、新产品、新产业、新模式、新业态的过程。习近平总书记强调，网络信息技术是全球研发投入最集中、创新最活跃、应用最广泛、辐射带动作用最大的技术创新领域。是全球技术创新的竞争高地，要牵住数字关键核心技术自主创新这个 “牛鼻子。”

01:25

In recent years, China has firmly grasped the “bull’s nose” of independent innovation in core technologies, concentrating resources to intensify efforts in tackling cutting-edge technologies. As a result, new global competitive advantages have emerged in certain fields. Notable achievements include the successful launch of the world’s first quantum science experimental satellite “Micius,” the completion and operation of the world’s largest single aperture radio telescope, and the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System completed global networking.

过去几年，我国确实紧紧牵住了核心技术自主创新的 “牛鼻子，” 集中资源加大前沿技术攻关力度，在部分领域形成了全球竞争新优势。世界首颗量子科学实验卫星 “墨子号” 成功发射，世界最大的单口径射电望远镜建成使用，北斗卫星导航系统完成全球组网。

01:52

China has ranked first for many consecutive years in the number of entries on the Top 500 list of the world’s supercomputers. Breakthroughs in innovation have also continued to emerge in areas such as manned spaceflight, lunar and Mars exploration, deep-sea and deep-Earth exploration, nuclear power technology, large aircraft manufacturing, and artificial intelligence. According to the Plan for the Global Layout Digital China Construction, the goal is to achieve major breakthroughs in digital technology innovation and become a global leader in application innovation by 2025.

世界超级计算机500强中，上榜总数多年蝉联第一。载人航天、探月探火、深海深地探测、核电技术、大飞机制造人工智能等领域创新成果也不断涌现。”数字中国建设整体布局规划” 提出的目标是到2025年，数字技术创新实现重大突破，应用创新全球领先。

02:24

To achieve this goal, it is essential to better integrate an effective market with a capable government and accelerate the development of a self-reliant and self-empowering Digital Technology Innovation System. This involves integrating innovation resources across departments and disciplines, improving the New Style Whole-of-Nation System for tackling Key and Core Technology under the conditions of a socialist market economy. Accelerate the establishment of an enterprise-led Technology Innovation System, effectively seize the initiative in digital technology development, strengthen intellectual property protection, and improve the mechanism for distributing the benefits from the commercialization of intellectual property.

要达到这一目标，就要推动有效市场和有为政府更好结合，加快构筑自立自强的数字技术创新体系。整合跨部门、跨学科创新资源，健全社会主义市场经济条件下关键核心技术攻关新型举国体制。加快建立以企业为主体的技术创新体系，切实掌握数字技术发展主动权，加强知识产权保护, 健全知识产权转化收益分配机制。

03:02

Improve the New Style Whole-of-Nation System for tackling Key and Core Technology. In March 2023, the Central Committee and State Council issued the Plan for the Reform of Party and State Institutions. Among the many components, reform of science and technology departments was a central focus of this round of institutional restructuring. A key task of the reform is to improve the New Style Whole-of-Nation System for tackling Key and Core Technology.

健全关键核心技术攻关新型举国体制。2023年3月，中共中央、国务院印发了  “党和国家机构改革方案。” 其中科技部门的改革是本轮机构改革的重中之重。改革的一个重要任务是完善关键核心技术攻关的新型举国体制。

03:28

Key and Core Technology is a vital instrument of national strength and serve as key engines for promoting high-quality development. They are characterized by high investment, long development cycles, significant difficulty, and powerful impact. Such technologies cannot be begged, bought, or borrowed. They must be achieved through independent innovation.

关键核心技术是国之重器，是推动高质量发展的重要引擎，具有投入高、周期长、难度大、作用强等特点。要不来，买不来，讨不来，必须靠自主创新。

03:45

The New Style Whole-of-Nation System refers to an organizational model and operational mechanism, under the conditions of a socialist market economy, that integrates and mobilizes national strategic science and technology forces along with broader societal resources to jointly overcome bottlenecks in Key and Core Technology.

而新型举国体制，是在社会主义市场经济条件下，凝聚和集成国家战略科技力量及社会资源，共同攻克关键核心技术难关的组织模式和运行机制。

04:02

In his report to the 20th National Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping called for improving the system by which the Central Committee exercises unified leadership over science and technology work, and for refining the New Style Whole-of-Nation System. He emphasized strengthening the country’s strategic scientific and technological forces, and issued a call to focus on national strategic requirements, pool resources to pursue original and pioneering breakthroughs in science and technology, and resolutely win the battle to overcome bottlenecks in Key and Core Technology.

习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中提出，完善党中央对科技工作统一领导的体制，健全新型举国体制。强化国家战略科技力量，并发出了以国家战略需求为导向，集聚力量进行原创性、引领性科技攻关。坚决打赢关键核心技术攻坚战的号召。

04:31

Compared with the traditional Whole-of-Nation System that relied primarily on government planning, the “new” aspect of the New Style Whole-of-Nation System lies first and foremost in its foundation in a socialist market economy. Under the conditions of a socialist market economy, the market plays a decisive role in the allocation of resources. The New Style Whole-of-Nation System must fully leverage market mechanisms while also ensuring the government plays its role more effectively: strengthening overall coordination and promoting collaborative innovation. Strengthen overall planning and coordinate innovation.

与传统的以政府计划手段为主的举国体制相比，新型举国体制的 “新，” 第一表现在社会主义市场经济这一前提。社会主义市场经济条件下，市场决定着资源配置。新型举国体制必须充分发挥市场机制，同时也要更好发挥政府的作用。加强统筹，协同创新。

04:59

Second, it is reflected in the central focus on tackling Key and Core Technology. Not all technologies are suited to the New Style Whole-of-Nation System. Only those that affect the broader landscape of national development and security, Key and Core Technology tied to strategic national needs, requires the use of this new system. At present, China faces numerous major tasks that urgently need to be addressed in key technologies, key links, key areas, and key products.

第二，表现在关键核心技术攻关这一中心。不是所有的技术都适用于新型举国体制，只有能够影响国家发展与安全大局。关系国家战略需求的关键核心技术，才需要采用新型举国体制这一方式。目前我国在关键技术、关键环节、关键领域、关键产品上亟待攻关的重大任务有很多。

05:29

In terms of key technologies, over 300 digital industry-related technologies, such as advanced chips, industrial control software, core components, and fundamental algorithms, are still subject to foreign control. In terms of key links, in high-tech industries with long industrial chains and finely segmented divisions of labor, such as semiconductors, China remains mostly in the middle and lower segments. If upstream supplies are cut off, there is a risk of supply chain disruption.

从关键技术看，高端芯片、工业控制软件、核心元器件、基本算法等300多项与数字产业相关的技术仍然受制于人。从关键环节看，在半导体等产业链条长、产业分工细的高技术行业，我国大多处于中下游环节，一旦上游断供，就可能面临断链风险。

05:56

In terms of key sectors, areas related to national security, such as electronics, aviation, biotechnology, and advanced materials, are focal points of international competition in high technology. In terms of key products, core industrial items like high-end CNC machine tools, chips, lithography machines, medical devices, aircraft engines, and advanced sensors are heavily dependent on imports. In light of profound changes in the domestic and international development environment and various risks and challenges, it is especially important to improve the New Style Whole-of-Nation System for tackling Key and Core Technology. It is necessary to integrate the government, market, and society in an organic manner, and to scientifically coordinate national research institutions, top research universities, and leading technology enterprises, in order to pool resources for tackling Key and Core Technology.

从关键领域看，电子、航空、生物技术、先进材料等关系国家安全的领域，是国家间高技术争夺的焦点。从关键产品看，高端数控机床、芯片、光刻机、医疗器械、航空发动机、高端传感器等工业关键产品严重依赖进口。面对国内外发展环境的深刻变化和各方面的风险挑战，健全关键核心技术攻关新型举国体制尤为重要。要把政府、市场、社会有机结合起来，科学统筹国家科研机构、高水平研究型大学和科技领军企业、集聚力量进行关键核心技术攻关。

06:52

Strengthen the role of enterprises as main actors in scientific and technological innovation. In addition to improving the New Style Whole-of-Nation System and ensuring the government plays its organizational role in tackling Key and Core Technology, it is also essential to emphasize the central role of enterprises in technological innovation.

强化企业科技创新主体地位。除了完善新型举国体制，发挥好政府在关键核心技术攻关中的组织作用，还要突出企业的科技创新主体地位。

07:10

The report of the 20th Party Congress called for strengthening the role of enterprises as the main drivers of scientific and technological innovation, giving full play to the leading and supporting role of key technology enterprises, and fostering a favorable environment for the growth of technology-oriented medium, small, and micro enterprises. It also emphasized the deep fusion of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent, particularly highlighting the need to ‘strengthen enterprise-led deep fusion of industry, academia, and research.

党的二十大报告提出，要强化企业科技创新主体地位，发挥科技型骨干企业引领支撑作用，营造有利于科技型中小微企业成长的良好环境。推动创新链、产业链、资金链、人才链深度融合，特别强调 “加强企业主导的产学研深度融合。”

07:37

At present, enterprises have shifted from being the main force in technological innovation to being the main force in scientific and technological innovation. In 2022, the number of high-tech enterprises nationwide increased to 400,000, and the number of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises reached 454,000. Enterprise R&D investment accounted for more than three-quarters of total R&D spending in the country. The total value of technology contracts nationwide reached 4.8 trillion yuan. Enterprises contributed over 80% of technology absorption, and nearly 80% of participants or lead organizations in the National Key Point R&D Plans were enterprises.

当前，企业已从技术创新主体转变为科技创新主体。2022年，全国高新技术企业增长至40万家。科技型中小企业达到45.4万家，企业研发投入占全社会研发投入已超过3/4，全国技术合同成交额4.8万亿元。企业贡献了超80%的技术吸纳，国家重点研发计划中，企业参加或牵头的占比接近80%。

08:12

In addition, enterprise patent applications and grants account for over 60% of the national total, and a number of key technology enterprises have emerged. These companies typically have large scale, strong R&D funding, and deep scientific and technological foundations, and should play a leading and supporting role in innovation. In the government-led National Innovation System, research academies and universities have traditionally held the dominant position, while enterprises have primarily been regarded as entities for production and business operations.

此外，企业专利申请和授权量超过国内专利申请授权总量的60%，涌现出一批科技型骨干企业。他们往往具有较大的企业规模，雄厚的研发资金和深厚的科研沉淀，应当发挥科技创新的引领支撑作用。在政府主导的国家创新体系中，科研院所和高校一向占据主体地位，企业主要被视为生产经营主体。

08:47

To strengthen the role of enterprises as the main force in scientific and technological innovation, particularly in undertaking the transformation of technological achievements, it is necessary to improve systems and mechanisms across decision-making, R&D investment, research organization, and the commercialization of results. A systematic allocation of key resources such as policies, funding, and projects should be promoted to build an innovation system with enterprises at the core and deep integration of industry, academia, and research.

重点承担技术成果转化，强化企业科技创新主体地位，要从科技创新决策、研发投入、科研组织、成果转化等方面完善体制机制。对政策、资金、项目等关键资源进行系统布局，推动形成企业为主体、产学研深度融合的创新体系。

09:11

In this way, high-level self-reliant and self-empowering strength in science and technology can be achieved. Intellectual property protection must be strengthened. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, innovation is the primary driving force of development, and protecting intellectual property is protecting innovation. In digital market governance, the intellectual property system plays a foundational role. It is the fundamental mechanism for securing enterprise investment in innovation and for protecting the utilization, commercialization, and circulation of innovation outcomes.

从而实现高水平科技自立自强。加强知识产权保护。习近平总书记指出，创新是引领发展的第一动力，保护知识产权就是保护创新。在数字市场治理中，知识产权制度发挥着基础性作用，是保障企业创新投资、保护创新成果利用、转化、流转的根本性制度。

09:47

The digital economy relies on data as the key factor of production and the knowledge and information it embodies. Using modern information networks as its foundation, it has driven the emergence and development of a range of new industries and business models, while also raising the bar for intellectual property protection. In the process of digital-real fusion, new types of rights objects, such as AI-generated content, are continuously emerging. The widespread application of digital technologies has simultaneously “opened the door” to more diverse forms of intellectual property infringement.

数字经济以体现为数据的知识和信息为关键生产要素。以现代信息网络为载体，促进了一系列新业态、新模式的产生和发展，也对加强知识产权保护提出了更高要求。数实融合的过程中，人工智能生成物等新类型权利客体不断出现，数字化技术广泛应用，同时为知识产权侵权行为多样化打开了 “方便之门。”

10:19

The legal nature and classification of data itself has yet to be uniformly defined, posing challenges and higher demands for the scope of existing intellectual property protection, enforcement and judicial capacity, data governance, and international discourse power. In 2022, China’s ranking in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index steadily rose to 11th place, marking significant progress in improving its Intellectual Property System.

数据本身的法律属性及定位尚待统一，这对现有知识产权保护客体范围，知识产权执法和司法能力数据治理、国际话语权等都提出了挑战和更高要求。2022年，中国在世界知识产权组织全球创新指数的排名稳步上升至第11位，在改善知识产权体系方面取得了长足进步。

10:50

Given the current development trajectory, intellectual property protection should be strengthened, and the mechanism for distributing the benefits from IP commercialization should be improved to fully leverage the incentive effect of property rights. For example, institutions may, in accordance with the law, dispose of the rights to patent applications and granted patents for their botanical inventions. The state encourages such institutions to implement property rights-based incentive mechanisms. Universities and research institutes should be granted full autonomy in handling their intellectual property to promote the implementation and utilization of patents.

在当前的发展态势下，应加强知识产权保护，健全知识产权转化收益分配机制，充分发挥产权的激励效果。比如单位可以依法处置其植物发明创造申请专利的权利和专利权，国家鼓励被授予专利权的单位实行产权激励。充分赋予高校和科研单位知识产权处置的自主权，促进专利的实施和运用等。

Footnotes

  1. Digital Technology Innovation System (数字技术创新体系). “In 2023, the development of a Digital Technology Innovation System replaced one of the original “means” of the Digital China strategy dating from 2017, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industrial Ecosystem. The ICT Industrial Ecosystem was a much narrower concept focused on the state-owned ICT sector. Compared to the “old” state-led “means” of an ICT ecosystem, the “new” state-coordinated “means” of an innovation ecosystem leverages both public and private capacities,” see “Inside Digital China (9/13): Digital Technology Innovation System.” ↩︎
  2. New Style Whole-of-Nation System (新型举国体制). “The Party is refining the New Style Whole-of-Nation System for tackling Key and Core Technology. The integration of the Digital China strategy’s Digital Technology Innovation System with the New Style Whole-of-Nation System reflects a broader shift in China’s development model. The Party now envisions a Digital Technology Innovation System where strategic national goals are achieved through collaboration between the government, market, and society, underpinned by strong enterprise participation and a robust, evolving intellectual property framework,” see Inside Digital China (9/13): Digital Technology Innovation System.” ↩︎