The output of China's core artificial intelligence industry exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan ($165 billion) in 2025, with more than 6,200 companies operating in the field, said Li Lecheng, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The remarks came after the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing on Thursday.
After the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing, Li Lecheng, head of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that the country's artificial intelligence sector has expanded rapidly, driven by government efforts to promote advanced technologies for industrial upgrading and economic growth. In 2025, the output of the core AI industry surpassed 1.2 trillion yuan ($165 billion), with more than 6,200 companies active in the field.
Li noted that Chinese open-source AI models recorded the highest number of global downloads over the past year, indicating increasing worldwide adoption of models developed in China. By the end of 2025, more than 30 percent of large-scale manufacturing enterprises in China had integrated AI technologies into their operations. Meanwhile, domestic firms have released over 300 models of humanoid robots.
The government work report, submitted Thursday to the top legislature for deliberation, outlines plans to advance and expand the "AI Plus" initiative, promote faster application of new-generation intelligent terminals and AI agents, and encourage large-scale commercial use of AI in key sectors and fields.
The Ministry of Finance's draft budget report, released during the annual legislative sessions in Beijing, allocates 426.42 billion yuan ($61.7 billion) to science and technology, a 10 percent year-on-year increase—the largest among major government spending areas, surpassing defense, diplomacy, public security, and education. This funding positions frontiers such as future energy, brain-computer interfaces, and satellite internet as China's future industries, with increased spending to support them amid emphasis on science and tech self-reliance in economic development and rivalry with the United States.
These announcements underscore China's ambitions in AI and its commitment to innovation-driven economic transformation.
