BEIJING (AP) \u2014 China\u2019s 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 access to semiconductors and other high-tech items.<\/p>\n
The announcement by state media came in a communique after a four-day meeting<\/a> that approved a draft of the party\u2019s next five-year development plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n China faces \u201cprofound and complex\u201d changes and rising uncertainty, it said. The communique did not directly mention the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump. China\u2019s leader Xi Jinping is expected to meet Trump for talks in South Korea next week.<\/p>\n Since returning to the White House, Trump has ramped up tariffs on imports in an effort to compel manufacturers to shift factories to the United States. That has added to pressure on the Chinese economy at a time when the leadership is struggling to resolve a prolonged downturn in the property market and stoke stronger domestic demand.<\/p>\n But China has managed to keep exports growing by shifting to other markets, and 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means China will likely demand more from the U.S. to reach a deal, if one is to be reached,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The communique contained few surprises, largely echoing the policy direction<\/a> set out by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who wants to build China into a tech leader and global power with a robust military able to command respect and exert international influence. <\/p>\n It provided only a broad overview of the coming 2026-2030 five-year plan, indicating its scope without details. More information may be released in the coming days, but the full plan won\u2019t be known until March, when the legislature gives a rubber-stamp approval to the plan at its annual meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe general impression of the communique is that it highlights much more continuity than change,\u201d said Xin Sun, a senior lecturer in Chinese and East Asian Business at King\u2019s College London. <\/p>\n